Dansko celebrated the grand opening of its first concept store on May 31, in Portland, OR. Created in partnership with Footwise Footwear and Shoe Mill, owned by ERHCo Inc., the store boasts the look and feel of a Dansko store, not to mention the entire line, including exclusives and collaborations. “The space is an expression of our aesthetic with many visuals that capture our equestrian heritage, Pennsylvania roots, and timeless product,” says Dansko President Kitty Bolinger.
First-day festivities for Dansko – A Footwise Concept drew an eager crowd to admire special edition clogs and to enjoy refreshments and giveaways. “The grand opening was great,” says Bolinger. “It was busy throughout the day. People in the community are thrilled to have such a beautiful store, and there was lots of Dansko love.”
“We were busy from the moment we opened until the last customer left with multiple pair,” reports ERHCo Inc. CEO Josh Habre. “In fact, we beat the estimates by 30 percent for the weekend. Most importantly, it was fun. Customers had a blast and were excited to see the whole line in person, not just the curated collection. The number of multiple-pair transactions shows the deep love of Dansko in Portland.
“Portlanders value comfort, quality, and ethical business practices—all core to Dansko’s identity as an employee-owned, socially responsible company that empowers women doing meaningful work. That is very Portland,” Habre adds. “The city’s strong community of healthcare workers, teachers, chefs, and service professionals makes it ideal for a Dansko store. Plus, Portland shoppers resonate with brands that prioritize sustainability and well-being over fast fashion. Portland is a shoe town, and Dansko is something different from all the athletic/outdoor brands with roots here in Portland—Nike, Adidas, Keen, Columbia, Bogs.”
When EHRCo first approached Dansko about opening a flagship in Portland, the location immediately struck a chord with the Dansko team because the brand’s business there “has always been phenomenal,” Bolinger told Footwear Plus. She hopes the store will not only provide a win-win for everyone involved, but will also serve as a brand lab, providing valuable customer feedback and insights.
In addition to delivering the financials that the Footwise/Shoe Mill team and Dansko envision, “our goal is to immerse the consumer in the Dansko brand, give the community a space to gather and hang out, and provide Dansko with direct feedback about our product,” she explains.
“We expect this to be more than just a typical retail store,” Habre agrees. “With nearly every style and color in one place, it creates the opportunity to turn the person who is curious about Dansko as well as mission-driven Dansko buyers into raving Dansko fans. It is already keeping pace with a couple of our multi-line stores, which is very encouraging. We are positioned as the Dansko experts, and the line will continue to be a bigger part of our assortment in all our stores.”
To find out more about Dansko—and how the comfort brand is reinvigorating itself by returning to its born-in-a-barn clog roots—read our Q&A with President Kitty Bolinger: https://issuu.com/symphonypublishing/docs/footwear_plus_april_may_2025/30
For more on Shoe Mill and Footwise parent company ERHCo, read our Q&A with CEO Josh Habre: https://footwearplusmagazine.com/qa/playmaker/
The post Dansko Opens First Concept Store appeared first on Footwear Plus Magazine.