TOKYO — Nike has brought its signature swoosh to one of this city’s trendiest neighborhoods.  On Saturday, the athletic brand will open a sprawling new flagship in Harajuku, a district known for its cutting-edge street fashion and youthful clientele.  The store covers more than 10,000 square feet over three levels.

Japan-based Masamichi Katayama’s firm Wonderwall designed the interiors, which feature wood ceilings and floors and a generous use of glass displays and panoramic windows.

There are also some eye-catching accents. No fewer than 400 pairs of white sneakers are suspended from the ceiling of the second floor; a collection of race number tags revolve in a chandelier formation on the lower level. Wonderwall also played with textures, using chunks of shoe soles or pieces of waffle irons — the original inspiration for Nike’s sneaker tread — as a backdrop for shelving units.

The first floor houses the Tokyo chapter of the Nike Running Club and a high-tech gait analysis room, where runners can get feedback on their stride. Jackson said Nike purposely chose the Tokyo store’s location on Omotesando Avenue near sprawling Yoyogi Park, where the club will run four nights a week.

Much of the rest of the store is dedicated to customization services.

On the second floor, shoppers can take advantage of Nike’s largest NikeiD studio in Japan and customize apparel and footwear using computer stations and swatches of fabric and leather. The third floor houses a “Bootroom,” where customers can individualize soccer cleats in terms of fit, color, material, plate and embroidery.

If the Harajuku flagship is successful, Nike will consider opening other larger-scale stores in Japan, Jackson said. Globally, the brand is evaluating locations on a case-by-case basis rather than targeting a specific number of stores, she said. The executive said the brand is planning to “refresh” its Niketown stores in New York and London while considering new stores in Los Angeles and Manchester, England.

Tags: harajuku, nike harajuku flagship store, nike toyko, niketown, wonderwall