KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 20 — Italian shoemaker Geox recently unveiled its new concept store in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur, making it the first in Asia and third worldwide after Milan and Dubai.
The stylishly updated store design embodies the core value of its advanced ‘breathable’ technology, symbolised by the letter X, with a floating metal shelf display and lots of space everywhere, giving it a light, airy and modern feel.
Even the entrance features a honeycomb design, serving to remind celebrities and social media influencers gathered at its recent launch, of Geox’s famous patented waterproof and breathable membrane.
“At first, I didn’t think they were special but after we brought in way more expensive fully leather shoes from Italy and UK, I realised that despite their prices, they still took weeks to break in and weren’t as comfortable as Geox,” said marketing director of Geox Malaysia and Larrie, Lenson Chong in his speech.
Chong, who comes from the family who started well-known homegrown shoe brand Larrie 45 years ago, had the crowd in stitches when he described how promoters used to hate it when he and brothers came along with their parents for outlet visits as they would rearrange the shoes and make a mess of the display.
Influencers Nina Ariff and Arena Wan said what they liked most is that it’s both stylish yet comfy.
“This is my first pair of waterproof shoes,” said Nina who was wearing a pair of blue, pink and brown Geox sneakers from the latest collection.
“I love how super comfortable it is and it’s also a golfing shoe, so I can go golfing with it.”
“I’m big on comfort so anything that’s comfy, I love,” said Arena, adding that the rest of the collection was also nice.
Fellow influencer and medical doctor Dr Shazril Shaharuddin said he was impressed with Geox’s new concept store.
“When I think of comfortable shoes, I think of my mum’s Scholls,” said Dr Shazril who as a father to an autistic son, became an influencer to spread public awareness on autism. "So this is definitely a fresh of breath air.”
He added that Geox remains the only pair of shoes he could wear without having to break them in first.
“I once a bought a pair a week before wearing it on a trip to Europe,” he said. "It was comfortable, lightweight, the cushioning was good, I wore it every day.”
Meanwhile, New Balance was another brand that celebrated the grand opening of store, this time at The Exchange TRX, the newly-opened state-of-art mall that everyone’s talking about.
Offering a fresh retail consumer experience of people first, then product concept, the store features communal seating to encourage customers to get together, inspire each other while discovering their authentic style.
“It represents a big step forward in the way we think about our retail environment, featuring a much tighter, more focused collection built specifically for the younger consumer,” said New Balance senior director of global brand strategy and operations Ian Fitzpatrick.
Finally, just in time for Christmas, revolutionary Swiss footwear brand MBT has arrived in Malaysia with its spanking new store at The Exchange TRX.
Short for Masai Barefoot Technology, MBT is a brand of Swiss-engineered physiological footwear based on the mechanics of the human body and its movements.
Already available in over 40 countries, MBT believes in promoting comfort in each footstep through its unique MBT patented curved sole and the other technologically advanced functions.
“We have changed lives through movement and want to change it even more,” said MBT chairman Andy Chaw.
“Our shoes are made for journeys and those looking to get the most out of every step they take.”
The new 1350 square feet MBT store offers plenty of designs for both men and women in several categories including casual, athletic, work/student and dress.
