First Look: Kizik opens NYC pop-up as it preps for brick-and-mortar expansion
“Hands-free” footwear brand Kizik has dropped anchor in New York City — and it’s staying longer than it expected.
The company, whose shoes are designed for those who hate tying their shoe laces or are unable to do so, has opened a pop-up on Greene Street in Manhattan’s SoHo neighborhood. Created in partnership with MG2, the outpost was originally scheduled to be open only for a few days. But the response was so enthusiastic, Kizik has decided to keep the space open through Memorial Day.
The pop-up comes as Kizik is looking to expand its brand reach in 2024, both through its own retail channels — brick-and-mortar as well as online — and by entering into new wholesale partnerships. (Nordstrom is one of the brand’s current wholesale partners.) Its next two retail locations will be Mall of America, Bloomington, Minn., and King of Prussia mall, King of Prussia, Pa.
"This year we will bring Kizik to over 500 wholesale locations alongside six of our own stores, projecting for 15 stores total by the end of 2025," said Monte Deere, CEO of Kizik. "We've also signed with our first international partner to bring Kizik to the U.K., with plans to continue our brand expansion internationally."
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Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik. -
Photo courtesy of Kizik.
The pop-up offers a totally frictionless shopping experience. A full run of sizes is located throughout the space, allowing shoppers to grab their size and step in the shoes without having to wait for help from a sales associate. Operating on a drop-ship model, customers purchase their shoes and have them delivered to their homes.
The storefront window provides a view to the interior, which features a conveyor belt shoe display. Added elements and details throughout the pop-up, such as dynamic lighting and interactive visual installations that react to movement, convey a sense of motion.
“The Kizik pop-up provides an immersive experience that evokes a sense of endless possibilities, showcasing the brand’s new tagline ‘motion is magic,’” said MG2 principal Melissa Gonzalez. “Motion, visualized through dynamic lighting, is a theme throughout the space.”
The pop-up incorporates themes of Kizik’s new brand platform and first national marketing campaign, dubbed Motion is Magic, which launched on April 16 and will have omnichannel distribution that includes paid social media, linear digital display, traditional and streaming TV and more. Celebrating Kizik’s hands-free technology, the campaign invites consumers “to enter a life of frictionless freedom where they can experience the limitless possibilities of a life in motion.”
Created in partnership with creative agency Yard NYC, the campaign was shot in Barcelona and features that invite consumers to connect and engage in a world that inspires adventure, where “motion is magic.”
"Our customers have consistently shared their astonishment at how effortlessly our step-in technology integrates into their lives, magically allowing them to live their life in an elevated state of flow," said Deere. "This feedback illuminated a larger realization: Our innovation goes far beyond the convenience and functional benefit of not tying shoe laces. It unlocks a new way of living."
Kizik opened its first-ever store in June 23, at Fashion Place Mall in Murray, Utah, close to the company’s headquarters in Lindon, Utah. The company was founded by entrepreneur Mike Pratt, who filed the company’s first patents in 2014, and launched the very first product line in 2017. It has more than 200 pending and granted patents.
In tandem with its expansion, Kizik is introducing five new silhouettes including the Brisbane, Oslo, Sonoma, Sydney and London, all named after iconic cities as a nod to the wanderlust the brand plans to inspire. The new designs merge the function and efficiency of the brand with a renewed emphasis on current style trends.