Level Shoes has been a Mecca of footwear since it opened nearly a decade ago. The 97,000-square-foot store in The Dubai Mall sets global shoe standards, and at the end of 2020 welcomed London’s Presentedby, a brand dedicated to sneakers and streetwear. The cult brand now has a permanent home at Level Shoes, where its experiential space doubles up as an interactive museum full of rare fashion collectibles and includes a vault and viewing gallery. Yeezy, Supreme and Nike, along with sought-after collaborations pieces from Jordan x Dior, Supreme x Louis Vuitton, Nike x Off-White and Stussy x Dior, can all be found here.
“Sneakers have been one of our top categories in the last few years, and we continue to see exponential growth,” says Level Shoes senior buyer Stephanie Moor. “Amid a global pandemic and the new WFH culture, customers’ mindset have changed. They’re looking for casual and comfortable styles with a renewed interest in performance sneakers. Across Level Shoes, we would say nearly 70% of our sales are driven from the sneaker category.”
With Presentedby having a loyal following of Middle Eastern clients, this launch was well timed. “Our strategy has always been to open spaces in affluent locations, and there is no doubt that Dubai with its reputation for luxury shopping and ultra-modern architecture is a perfect location for what our brand represents,” says director of Presentedby Ridwane Ettoubi. Working with architectural practice External Reference, who believe in mixing digital with the physical, the futuristic space is wrapped in a 3D-printed lattice structure with interactive projections on the floor and the walls, and there is even a holographic show. Presentedby have locations in Paris’ Le Bon Marché and London’s Harvey Nichols, but this is their most cutting edge location. “The space fuses the DNA of Presentedby, Level Shoes and the glamorous city of Dubai, combining technology, fashion, urban culture and design,” says Ettoubi.
Level Shoes’ spectacular space at the Dubai Mall
Level Shoes’ Moor believes that sneakers and streetwear will see more growth this year and for 2021 predicts a return of retro and basketball silhouettes. This new addition to the world’s largest shoe store could be the stepping stone for more changes at Level Shoes, Moor says.
“The new Presentedby space marks the starting point of the transformation of our trends space. We love the way Presentedby not only highlights products in an innovative way but offers an experiential and digital physical concept that our sneakerheads can interact with. We plan to expand this ethos across our sneaker department.”
