Nike to open its 3rd Jordan World of Flight store in Seoul

Nike Inc. is set to open its Jordan World of Flight in Seoul, a store dedicated to Jordan brand streetwear and sports shoes, on Wednesday. It will be the third shop with such a concept in the world, after the existing flagship stores in Milan and Tokyo.

The store will be in Hongdae, a popular area among youth for unique fashion, indie music, restaurants and nightclubs. There is already a Jordan brand store in the same spot, where limited edition products and hot items have attracted a great number of young shoppers.

BASKETBALL CULTURE FOR MZ CONSUMERS

Jordan World of Flight in Seoul will take up a two-story building with 1,041 square meters of flooring area, displaying a large selection of Jordan brand products such as basketball shoes, t-shirts, sweatshirts and hats.

Nike says the shop showcases the legacy and future of basketball culture. The new store’s lounge will display photos of former basketball star player Michael Jeffrey Jordan and  Air Jordan models 6, 7, 8, 11 and 14, the shoes he wore when winning the National Basketball Association (NBA) championships. The Japanese basketball comic book series "Slam Dunks" will be also exhibited.

The Seoul-based store will also showcase artwork inspired by basketball items and the number 23, the number on Michael Jordan’s jersey.

It will also provide a space for customized products, where shoppers can select preferred materials and create their own products.

The Seoul store will help Jordan brand fans connect to each other and enjoy a great customer experience, said Nike Korea’s General Manager Kimberlee Chang Mendes.

She said the retail shop will demonstrate the values of basketball culture and its potential represented by Jumpman, a Nike logo shaped as Michael Jordan's silhouette.

WORLD'S FIRST RELEASE OF LUKA 2 

Nike will unveil Luka 2, a new version of its signature basketball Luka shoe line, at the Seoul store on June 23 for the first time globally. The official launch in the global market will be on July 11.

The Luka line is inspired by NBA star Luka Dončić of the Dallas Mavericks. A large number of NBA fans are expected to visit the new store on the opening day as only on-site sales will be available, without pre-orders. 

News of Luka 2's release has already gone viral, stimulating Korean millennials and Generation Z appetite for the shoes.

Nike’s Jordan brand shows steep growth in the Korean market. It is one of the most searched-for brands on the Nike app in the country.

As Korean MZers are the driving force of recommerce, or selling used products, the prices of some Jordan limited edition shoes are surging online.

The Women’s Air Jordan 1 Low x Travis Scott Medium Olive, which was released in April of this year, has sold for a high as 2 million won ($1,545.6) on a Korean secondhand platform. The original selling price in the country was 179,000 won.


Write to Ji-Yoon Yang at yang@hankyung.com

Jihyun Kim edited this article.