Men’s Shoe Brand Marc Nolan Refreshes Chicago Flagship Amid Continued Growth
Marc Nolan is celebrating its continued growth with a makeover of its flagship store in Chicago’s West Loop neighborhood.
Located at 169 N. Sangamon St., the newly renovated, 1,300-square-foot store, which first opened its doors in October, reveals a “refreshed” design centered around the brand’s casual-meets-dress shoe styles.
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To work on the project, the direct-to-consumer men’s footwear brand tapped Diana Tsiklauri of Situ Design Company to co-design the space. According to Marc Nolan founder and CEO, Sebastian Malczewski, customers can now expect to enter “a more relaxed vibe and overall shopping experience.”
Neutral tones fill the space among rows of custom shelving, constructed with a mix of reclaimed wood and built-in interior lighting. A range of mid-century modern seating flank the space throughout.
Popular installations, like the brand’s signature plant wall, will remain, while the addition of a new coffee bar offers both daily caffeine refreshment and happy hour-ready espresso martinis. The brand will continue to make use of the space for event programming, like exclusive shoe-drop collaborations with local Chicago creatives and DJ-centric shopping nights, Malczewski said.
“We are very fortunate in being able to evolve the experience at our flagship retail location alongside the growth of the greater brand,” Malczewski said. “I wanted the space to feel more refined and approachable, a space you’d actually want to hang out in — an elegant, lounge-like atmosphere that was befitting to our range of loyal customers.”
Along with its store makeover, Marc Nolan has released a new ad campaign starring a trio of noted brand fans and Chicago hometown favorites. Shot inside Freehand Hotel Chicago’s penthouse suite, the campaign sees former Chicago White Sox player and manager Ozzie Guillén, DJ Kid Clay and play-by-play announcer Ray Flores wearing shoe styles from the brand’s fall ’23 collection, including the navy patent-leather Atlas strap boots and the pink mohair suede Lincoln cap-toe boots.
“Ozzie, Ray and Clay have all supported us for a long time, since when we were just starting out,” Malczewski added. “Each embodies the Marc Nolan spirit of interesting people doing interesting things, men of character who continually get better with age. [They are] the perfect choice to be the face of our campaign this season.”
This news comes as the men’s shoe brand has experienced rapid growth in the last few years. Marc Nolan recently landed on Inc.’s “5,000 Most Successful Companies” list for the second year in a row (now at spot number 258), having seen a three-year revenue growth of 2,390 percent. Malczewski said that the brand saw sales of over $5 million in 2021, up from $1.5 million the prior year and just $250,000 in its first year. The founder added that he anticipates additional year-over-year growth of 34 percent in 2023.
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