Vessi, the Vancouver-based waterproof sneaker brand, has officially opened its first permanent standalone store in the U.S. Last week, Vessi opened a 1300 square foot location in Bellevue Square in Bellevue in Washington featuring the brand’s full footwear lineup, along with select outerwear. The store gives customers the opportunity to experience Vessi’s proprietary Dyma-tex waterproof technology and fit in person. “Opening our first U.S. store is an important step for the brand,” said co-founder and CEO Andy Wang. “The Pacific Northwest has always been a core market for us, and Bellevue is a natural place to bring the Vessi experience into a physical retail setting.” Introduced as an online concept in 2018 by entrepreneurs Wang, Mikaella Go and Tony Yu, the lightweight and breathable men’s, women’s and children’s 100 percent waterproof sneakers are available in various styles in over 125 specialty footwear stores across Canada and in several U.S. states. In late 2022, the company opened its first bricks & mortar location, a 1745 square foot unit at the Metropolis at Metrotown in Burnaby and presently there are three permanent stores in major malls in Canada, in Burnaby, Richmond and Mississauga. Future plans have not been announced though Oberfeld Snowcap’s David Garbuz and Kathleen McGuigan have been retained to handle the Vessi site selection in Canada ad the U.S., respectively. Street front and mall locations in the 1500 to 2000 square foot range are the suggested requirements for the Vessi stores.
Oberfeld Snowcap/Toronto, 121 King St West, Suite 1800, Toronto, Ontario M5H 3T9 (David Garbuz – 647/461-0105 davidg@oberfeldsnowcap.com)
Oberfeld Snowcap/Montreal, 8000 Decarie Blvd., Suite 290, Montreal, Quebec H4P 2S4 (Kathleen McGuigan – 514/670-3009 kathleen@oberfeldsnowcap.com)
Vessi Footwear Ltd., 1085 Homer St., Vancouver, British Columbia V6B 2X5 (www.ca.vessi.com)