Converse Inc. to open SoHo store

Converse Inc. announced the opening of its first specialty retail store in Manhattan. The new SoHo store, located at 560 Broadway and Prince Street, will open Friday.

"The Converse brand was first in sports and first in rock and roll so we’re extremely excited to bring our fans the first Converse New York City specialty retail store," said Michael Spillane, Converse chief executive.

"Converse has deep roots in New York City culture from basketball to the influential underground music scenes of the 80s and 90s.The newest Converse store will allow visitors to immerse themselves in a unique Converse experience."

The SoHo store will offer the largest offering of Converse footwear in the world, showcasing  Chuck Taylor All Star, Jack Purcell, Star Chevron, One Star and Converse by John Varvatos, as well as other premium footwear collaborations, according to The Associated Press.

Additionally, a new line of men’s and women’s apparel and accessories will be offered.

The Converse apparel collection includes a range of graphic T-shirts, denim and outerwear. New York exclusive merchandise, including over 20 exclusive footwear styles and limited edition "I Star Chevron" graphic tees featuring New York City’s iconic boroughs and neighborhoods will be sold exclusively at the SoHo store.

All of New York City’s boroughs are represented plus key neighborhoods such as SoHo, Lower East Side, Williamsburg, Coney Island and Hell’s Kitchen, to name a few.

Another key feature of the New York City store will be Converse’s customization capabilities for both apparel and footwear available in-store. Converse customization will allow customers to select exclusive product including shoes, T-shirts and bags, along with graphics and colors, to create their very own masterpiece of personal expression.

“Customization maestros” will be on hand to provide one-on-one assistance with two state-of-the-art printers that will offer over 200 graphic options that will be updated monthly. Customers will be able to leave the store with their creations the same day with the final product presented in its own special package.

The grand opening of the Converse SoHo store will be on Friday at 8 a.m. The store’s normal hours will be Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Sunday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.