Salomon is set to open its newest retail location in the heart of Chicago’s Bucktown neighborhood this week. It marks a milestone in the French brand’s North American expansion.
Located at 1630 N Damen Avenue, Salomon Bucktown is the brand’s first Midwest location and second U.S. retail store, following the opening of its SoHo store in New York City last year.
Steve Doolan, president of Americas at Salomon, told FN in an exclusive interview that the company chose the Bucktown area for its second U.S. store because it’s a “classic intersection of new and old with hard working roots that are the foundation of the city.”
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“[Bucktown has] been adopted and is being reinvented by its inhabitants, who are active and love to discover what’s new,” Doolan said. “We knew as soon as we walked through the neighborhood and discovered its passionate running community on the streets that this was the place to open our second store.”
The executive noted that the Chicago store will offer an extensive selection of Salomon’s sportstyle and performance products and is designed with distinct zones dedicated to highlight both categories. The store also will host a pop-up coffee bar and lounge space as it works to become a hub for Chicago’s running community.
“We will have newness flowing monthly in conjunction with our running footwear and apparel,” Doolan added. “We think this is the perfect way to serve the neighborhood with functional cool.”
And engaging the neighborhood is just what Salomon has planned for its grand opening events. To celebrate the big day on Aug. 27, the brand will host a community run with local consumers and media, featuring a special appearance by Salomon athlete and elite runner Maggie Montoya.
Upon arrival, the first customers will receive Salomon-branded tote bags while supplies last, with exclusive shoe charms available as a gift with purchase. Guests will also be treated to complimentary beverages from Metric Coffee, available from opening day through Aug. 31.
Doolan maintained that Salomon’s growth in the U.S. is a long time coming – lauding that the brand’s footwear has been a “dominant force” in the outdoor and hiking category for three decades.
“Today we’re taking that same clear focus on product innovation and directing at growing our running category to cover all surfaces, road, gravel and trail,” the executive said. “Of note recently, the Aero Glide 3 release in the first quarter was one of the brand’s most successful run category launches in history. And our sportstyle category continues to find new fans, the genesis of it is innovation driven product being adopted into everyday life.”
This opening comes as Salomon parent company Amer Sports reported earlier this month that it saw “continued momentum” in the second quarter of fiscal 2025. In the period, the company saw revenue increase 23 percent to $1.24 billion, up from $1.00 billion the same time last year.
Net income for the three months ended June 30 swung to the black at $18.2 million, or 3 cents per diluted share, from a net loss a year ago of $3.7 million, or 1 cent, in the same year-ago quarter.
James Zheng, chief executive officer of Amer Sports, told analysts on last week’s earnings call that the company “continues to lay the groundwork to support significant future growth” for Salomon in the Americas region.
“Our first U.S. store in New York City continued to show incredible traction with our consumers, and we plan to open 3 to 4 more in the great New York area this year or early next year as well as continue to expand our presence in key wholesale accounts,” Zheng noted.
For Doolan, he added that Salomon is seeing “strong demand” from coast to coast in the U.S. “We’ve got another store planned for Oct. 1 in Los Angeles on Melrose Avenue in the heart of West Hollywood,” Doolan said. “[There are also] plans to open at least one more NYC store before the end of the year.”
Looking even closer, Zheng teased on the company’s earnings call that new Salomon locations are coming this fall to Woodbury Common Premium Outlets just outside of NYC and to the Williamsburg neighborhood of Brooklyn. “We will focus on San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami in 2026,” the CEO added.