Inside Nike’s Flagship New York Store, the House of Innovation

With six floors and a big swoosh, Nike’s House of Innovation stands out on the New York City streets. Tourists gathered outside the entrance, snapping photos in front of the store, when I visited on a Thursday afternoon. I, of course, joined them in getting pictures of the massive building.

The immersive experience started immediately. I was transported to a red-and-black-themed atmosphere that was all about performance rather than street style.

Running was the first sports category I came across. The entire main floor was all about running. Some mannequins were dressed accordingly, and there were a few nods to the New York City Marathon — held the weekend before my visit — with the “NYC 26.2” shirts.

Nike has recently referred to itself as a “running brand,” and the walls of Vomero running sneakers suggested just that. As I browsed, one worker recommended a $180 pair of white Nike Vomero Plus that he said were perfect for walking all day.

The first floor made me think that the rest of the store would follow its format, with each floor dedicated to one of the key categories that Nike is focusing on: running, basketball, football, training, and sportswear.

However, the next few floors were organized by gender and age, which is more in line with how I personally shop.

Despite the push for a more sports-focused “offense,” as the company calls its strategy, the six floors were still largely organized by gender and age. There was a basement-level floor dedicated to children, and the floor above the main area was all about womenswear.

I was greeted with walls of leggings and displays of sports bras. It reminded me of the layout of a Nike store I previously visited in Brooklyn.

Earlier this year, Nike said it would partner with Kim Kardashian’s Skims on a new brand called NikeSkims. The first collection debuted in September.

The NikeSkims section of the women’s floor had a fair amount of traffic. The neutral-toned activewear was organized by shade. It wasn’t as immersive as I would’ve expected for a new brand launch, compared to the world created for Jordan on the final floor.

As I ascended the stairs to the fourth-floor men’s section, I noticed the emphasis on Nike’s signature athletes. So far, I’d seen Sabrina Ionescu and Sha’Carri Richardson, and a towering statue of LeBron James was the cherry on top.

The men’s section, as expected, had a combination of performance and sportswear. There were walls lined with running shoes and a section dedicated to graphic tees.

I had an “aha” moment on the sports-labeled floor. This floor was focused entirely on sportswear, which Nike has said it’s leaning more into as it works to get back to its roots. Parts of the floor were dedicated to various sports, with the largest section reserved for basketball, followed by football, tennis, golf, and soccer.

Visitors could shop for team gear or specialty shoes for their desired sport.

The Jordan brand had its own floor, which was a world unto itself. Like the main floor, a glowing hallway opened up to large displays of mannequins in streetwear.

The displays emphasized “everyday comfort,” with shorts, graphic tees, and shirts that resembled hockey jerseys. Images of more of its signature athletes, like Jalen Hurts and Jayson Tatum, were featured on the walls.

When I compare the House of Innovation to the other Nike stores I’ve recently visited, it’s clear that the House of Innovation serves as the blueprint for the others. The layouts were similar. There was something there for pretty much every athlete. And it was easy to find each sport category, especially running and basketball.

As my six-floor journey came to a close, I was impressed by the amount of apparel Nike was able to encompass in one store. Of course, it’s a flagship, so some extravagance is expected.