Sneaker Cult-ure

SAFE’s pop-up in Toronto’s CF Sherway Gardens is a new addition to the growing portfolio of retail spaces of the exclusive sneaker marketplace brand. SAFE, “Sneakers Available For Everyone”, is a marketplace for buying and selling exclusive, rare, and limited-edition sneakers and it is Canada’s largest online streetwear and sneaker marketplace companies. For owner Terrell Maxwell, the high stakes of investing in retail spaces represented an opportunity to develop a real connection with SAFE’s clientele, generate brand trust, and elevate the customer experience by establishing his business services on his own terms.

The creative partnership with GH+A, helped define the brand’s retail space image and experience. GH+A developed a comprehensive design concept around the brand’s unique selling proposition—SAFE is the most trusted marketplace for buying and selling exclusive sneakers in Canada—and Terrell’s vision to go beyond customers’ expectations with seamless trading, curated offerings, personalized messaging, and connecting physical + human + digital for a superior brand experience. In lieu of a typical cash desk, GHA designed a concierge style counter for buying, selling, and trading to happen all in one place. A glass ‘vault’ at the store front was designed to display the more exclusive and premium-priced sneaker collectibles and attract the wondering eye. The large-scale exterior graphic was custom designed by GH+A’s creative director Jonathan Knodell to achieve an impactful first impression.