Salomon, the French outdoor and lifestyle powerhouse, has just opened its first-ever Brooklyn store in Williamsburg—a strategic move that signals more than just another retail expansion. This isn’t just about shoes and jackets; it’s about how global brands are tuning into the heartbeat of urban communities and reshaping the way city dwellers experience outdoor culture.
Why This Matters
Salomon’s Williamsburg store is more than a retail outpost—it’s a bridge between rugged mountain roots and city street culture. Brooklyn, especially Williamsburg, is a hotbed for creative energy, streetwear influence, and a community hungry for new experiences. By setting up shop here, Salomon is betting big on the ongoing fusion of outdoor performance with urban fashion.
- Market Trend: Urban outdoor style is exploding. According to Allied Market Research, the global outdoor apparel market is expected to reach $23 billion by 2028, with urban consumers driving much of the growth.
- Community Connection: The store’s design—”clean, modern,” yet rooted in nature—reflects Salomon’s attempt to merge its alpine DNA with Brooklyn’s creative pulse.
- Strategic Expansion: This marks Salomon’s fifth North American store, completing its target for the region ahead of 2025, a sign of confidence in brick-and-mortar despite digital retail dominance.
What Most People Miss
Most headlines focus on store count or square footage, but the real story is how Salomon is redefining its brand identity for a new generation. Once pigeonholed as a technical performance brand for mountaineers, Salomon now courts sneakerheads, urban runners, and style-conscious explorers. The Williamsburg location is a deliberate play to attract crossover appeal—think GORE-TEX on Bedford Avenue, not just the Alps.
- Product Shift: The Sportstyle collection, featured prominently, is designed to blur the line between trail and tarmac.
- Retail as Community Hub: Expect events, group runs, and collaborations with local artists—this space is meant to be lived in, not just shopped.
Key Takeaways
- Brooklyn is now a proving ground for outdoor brands seeking urban relevance.
- Salomon’s growth reflects a larger industry pivot toward hybrid consumers: people who want functional gear that works for both city and summit.
- The Williamsburg store continues a trend set by brands like The North Face and Arc’teryx, which have found huge success by integrating lifestyle and technical performance in hip urban neighborhoods.
- Physical retail is far from dead—when done right, it becomes a brand experience center, not just a point of sale.
Timeline: Salomon’s North America Retail Expansion
- 2021: SoHo, NYC flagship opens
- 2022-2024: Additional stores in key U.S. cities
- 2025: Fifth North American store opens in Brooklyn, completing strategic rollout
The Bottom Line
Salomon’s leap into Brooklyn is more than a retail play—it’s a statement about where the future of outdoor style and community is heading. The brand’s success in Williamsburg could set the tone for how outdoor and lifestyle brands approach the urban market in the years ahead.