New territory for the Onitsuka Tiger in Amsterdam

Sneak up cautiously and quietly, set your sights on your prey and take the right step at the right moment. The name of the new king in Amsterdam’s shoe store jungle is Onitsuka Tiger. The flagship store of the Asics shoe company has marked out its new territory in Leidsestraat, the famous catwalk for footwear fashion and entrances its fashion victims with a sophisticated lighting and interior design concept. For the narrow, 89-square-metre, two-level store, lighting specialist Ansorg came up with a solution that harmonises perfectly with the architecture of the old canal building.

The moment you step inside the door, your gaze is drawn right to the back of the store, which is a couple of steps higher up. Customers immediately spot the shoe shelves covering the rear wall that showcase the latest trend models. Once lured into Onitsuka Tiger’s den, you soon notice that the store has much more to offer than sports shoes. The dynamics here are created by the diverse decor mix. The ceiling’s unusual arrangement of wood panels lends the narrow room an interesting look. From between the panels, the guiding light from all but invisibly integrated spots shows customers the way. All in all, light and room structure are so well matched that they form a visual unit.

The stylish, modern interior design combines symmetry with a metropolitan ambience as well as more casual elements that lighten the mood, such as retro couches in a warm leather tone. For all its zeitgeisty appeal and the glimpses into the sports future provided by the wall displays, the overall design imparts a cosy feeling – a welcome respite during a crazy shoe-shopping marathon. That dynamic is reinforced by the Ansorg lighting. Flood reflectors generate the basic mood, while spots create accented light that lends plasticity to the products on display.