Inside Cult Sneaker Brand APL’s First New York Store

In the store, shoppers can peruse APL’s full collection of men’s, women’s, and kids shoes. “There will be a beautiful balance between our core products, and then seasonal collections that inject color, fun, and patterns into [the mix],” says Ryan. The store will also carry exclusive silhouettes or colorways. For the duo, having these exclusive in-store elements was important. “For us, there’s no substitution for the tangibility of what you can do in person,” says Adam, while Ryan adds, “It creates a connection that’s special and deep with the consumer.”

Opening a New York flagship is no small feat for any brand, but for the twin brothers, opening the doors of their SoHo storefront this week is a particularly surreal milestone achievement. “When Ryan and I started APL, our dream was to see one person that we didn’t know wearing APLs,” says Adam. “Now, we see people every day across the world wearing them. It’s the best feeling.” They have even more stores on the horizon, too—hinting at a possible international flagship next. “We definitely want to open up more stores,” says Adam. “But we’ve never been about volume. We’ve always been about quality—not quantity.”