08 Oct Jordan-brand-only Flight 23 store coming to Chicago
Oct. 08–Forever 21 will leave a big footprint at 34 S. State St. when it finishes moving to its new location a few doors north, but big shoes are set to fill it.
Flight 23 at Footaction, a Jordan Brand-only store that debuted this year in New York, plans to open a 36,000-square-foot retail store in the space in June 2015, property owner Thor Equities said.
“There is nothing more quintessentially Chicago than Michael Jordan — and Thor is thrilled to bring the iconic sports hero’s unique and dynamic brand to a premier retail location in the city where he cemented his championship legacy,” said Joe Sitt, CEO of New York-based Thor Equities, which owns the building.
“Footaction is one of the fastest-growing footwear retailers in the country, and I am confident that South State Street’s unparalleled downtown Chicago address is the ideal location for the brand to achieve long-term growth and success,” he said. It is a 15-year deal.
Flight 23 is a partnership between Nike-owned Jordan Brand and Foot Locker-owned Footaction that sells exclusively Michael Jordan-brand shoes and apparel. It announced in January that it would open its first store a block from Madison Square Garden in New York, which Nike said would be “the first in a series of planned premium Jordan retail experiences coming to North America.”
Nike, which owns Jordan Brand, declined to comment on a Chicago location. Foot Locker did not return a request for comment.
In a statement on the day of the grand opening Feb. 1, Jordan Brand president Larry Miller said: “With Flight 23, we’re thrilled to bring the Jordan Brand vision to life in three-dimensional form, only steps from where Michael himself experienced some of his finest moments as a player. Through our partnership with Footaction, we’ve created a retail experience that not only pays homage to where Jordan Brand has been, but also speaks to our vision for the future.”
Forever 21 plans to move out of 34 S. State by the end of the year for its new location at 10 S. State, which had its grand opening in August.
aelejalderuiz@tribune.com