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Shoe Premieres Like at the Movies Extra Butter/New York. These sneaker enthusiasts are also movie buffs and design entire co-operations as movie related as their store. Text: Petrina Engelke. Photos: Extra Butter, Petrina Engelke
Quite a few people are standing on the constantly bustling Orchard Street; some have even settled down in folding chairs. They are waiting for the opening of Extra Butter. That opening is still three hours away and rumour has it that some already secured their respective spots in the queue over the previous night. The only thing missing is a red carpet. No doubt, the owners of Extra Butter know how to stage a premiere. A few years ago they opened a store with sought after sneakers and some street/urban wear in a small village named Rockville Centre. It seems the community was waiting for just that. They have built a fiercely loyal following no more than a 30 minute commuter train ride from New York. One of the absolute highlights is that the store also stocks sneakers and shirts for women. Premiere with "Kill Bill" Sneakers
In October 2013, Extra Butter made the big step from the suburbs to Manhattan and the shop had a real treat in store for its grand opening. A brand new co-operation with Asics sees the launch of a string of sneakers titled "Death List 5", inspired by the movie "Kill Bill". The name of the line is at the centre of an advertising campaign including a short video in the style of an action film trailer. This video was the only thing visitors saw when they visited the website of the New York-based store in the weeks leading up to the opening. "I am a movie buff", laughs Jason Faustino, the mastermind behind the Extra Butter concept. Before customers can enter the actual store, they need to walk through a foyer worthy of a real cinema. There are old movie theatre seats and a thick red velvet curtain, through which one can enter the "screening room". Instead of films one finds long rows of sneakers and film reels. The setting complements the premiere of the Asics x Extra Butter Gel saga "Cottonmouth"
perfectly. "Most people only showed up because of that", Faustino argues.
The screening room - sneakers that drive collectors mad are beyond the cinema foyer.
A Combination of Hype and Service
Such spectacular premiere ideas attract sneakers enthusiasts from far and wide. It's no surprise that they keep on returning too. The store is run by staff that one wants to befriend instantly. The old school service of the shop is characterised by in-depth product knowledge and individual service. Extra Butter wants its customers to feel just as welcome and well-advised in the new branch. "The audience in New York is very diverse; we see completely different styles", Faustino says. Some top sellers from the original store in Rockville have to take a back seat in New York. However, the owners are adamant that they will stick to their initial idea of offering the best sneakers, T-shirts, jackets, popular collaborations, and new ideas on a regular basis. After all, the name Extra Butter sets the bar very high. In the jargon the term "butter" already describes things that are spectacular, especially in the context of clothing styles.
Extra Butter 125 Orchard Street, New York, NY 10002/US extrabutterny.com Owners: J. Faustino, A. Amin, N. Amin, R. Furchak Employees: 6 Sales area: 213 sqm Shoe brands: Adidas, Asics, New Balance, Nike, Puma, Reebok, Saucony, Toms, Vans, and others Accessories and clothing brands: Anmlhse, Civil, Extra Butter, Guns Germs Steal, Junya Mafia, Publish, The Decades Hat Co., White Gold Tarantula, Zanerobe, and others.
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