The design inspiration came from shoe stores of the past; boxes stacked tall and rolling ladders roaming the aisles. The design honors this history and tradition with a focus on product and packaging. The challenge in this concept was combining stock plus the display of 40+ footwear styles, ample room for seating, and the capacity for small leather goods and clothing not to feel displaced within the broader display language.

Previously the space operated as a combined commercial art gallery and office space. Interior partitions were demolished, and ceilings and existing electrical were replaced. The original flooring was removed to reveal a concrete sub-floor which was ground back and sealed with a semi-gloss finish. Façade was updated from beige to black.

Over the past five years, JMDS has developed FEIT’s spatial identity with a commitment to a stripped-back natural palette primarily consisting of Baltic Birch Plywood. The use of wood as the primary material forms a sound backdrop to support the artisanal, hand-crafted qualities of FEIT’s leather goods. The use of mirror plays a pivotal role in all three of the (JMDS designed) FEIT stores—used to create a sense of expansion and dynamism within the interior, a boundary that the customer cannot decipher.

Custom linear lighting was installed primarily for after-hours use and serves as the ambient layer within the system. Shelving was milled from solid maple, finished with a water-based matte polyurethane seal; and tables are made from Baltic Birch Plywood and finished with a water-based matte polyurethane seal.