Cole Haan opens new shop on Harajuku's Cat Street

Lifestyle brand Cole Haan has opened its GRANDSHØP concept store on Cat Street in Harajuku, Tokyo. To commemorate the opening, the GRANDSHØP will carry exclusive, limited-edition Cole Haan x Hasan Minhaj GrandPrø Rally Court Sneakers created in collaboration with the ndian-American comedian.

Centered around human connection and enabled by technology, this new GRANDSHØP serves as the brand’s flagship in an area known for delivering fashion trends. The GRANDSHØP will curate footwear and performance lifestyle products that integrate timeless design and innovative technology, including ZERØGRAND - Cole Haan’s signature footwear technology.

“The Cole Haan brand has been growing internationally for the past several years, and is now sold in more than 60 countries. Yet Japan holds a special place for the Cole Haan brand as we’ve been there for more than a quarter century. It only made sense to bring our most innovative retail concept to one of the most iconic shopping destinations in the world — Harajuku district’s Cat Street in the heart of Tokyo,” said David Maddocks, brand president of Cole Haan, in a statement. “The GRANDSHØP showcases our revolutionary collection of innovative performance lifestyle products.”

The two-story GRANDSHØP offers numerous high-tech flourishes, such as a second-floor window integrated with a transparent LED screen that illuminates Cat Street at night, two screens highlighting Cole Haan innovations, and QR codes throughout the store, creating an interactive shopping experience that offers style and purchasing information for collections including ZERØGRAND, 4.ZERØGRAND, and ZERØGRAND Performance Running. There’s also a selfie station with an illuminated mirror that directs visitors to, “Blaze trails. Shatter boundaries.”

“This marks Cole Haan Japan’s third GRANDSHØP and most exciting to date,” said Adrian Santos, senior vice president, International at Cole Haan, in a statement. “We’re honored to bring this forward-thinking retail experience to Japan and hope to inspire consumers to seek form and function in every part of their day.” 

Inspiration lies at the core of the GRANDSHØP. Numerous quotes dot the space (in English and Japanese), such as “Take courage. Leave directions,” from Cole Haan’s recent #WriteNewRules campaign. Behind a stone staircase, a double height wall of nearly 5 meters anchors the back of the store, which will serve as a canvas for emerging artists. Currently, it features a floor-to-ceiling version of Lauren Tsai’s optimistic #WriteNewRules poster that notes “Personal transformation changes the world.”

Starting today, the first 100 customers to complete a purchase more than 20,000 yen will receive a T-shirt with the #WriteNewRules message, “Welcome change. Especially your own.” The GRANDSHØP Cat Street is located at 6-1-2 Jingumae Shibuya-ku Tokyo.

photo: courtesy of Cole Haan