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The North Face Expanding it's Footwear Business
On April 25, 2026, Goldwin opened The North Face Footwear Shinsaibashi in Osaka, the brand’s first footwear-focused concept store globally.
While The North Face is best known as an outdoor apparel and equipment brand, the company is expanding its footwear business as a strategic growth category. The store offers 3D foot scanning, footwear consultations by certified shoe fitters, and a Vibram resole service. The opening supports Goldwin’s strategy to strengthen The North Face’s footwear business while creating a new brand experience centered on footwear in one of Japan’s most competitive shoe retail districts.
Shinsaibashi: A Strategic Decision for Retail Location
Goldwin has identified footwear as a key growth area for The North Face. In its mid-term management plan, the company targets an additional JPY4 billion in footwear sales by Fall 2029 through enhanced shoe development and the creation of new markets. Prior to opening the Shinsaibashi store, Goldwin expanded footwear assortments in 40 existing The North Face stores and reported a 20% increase in footwear sales. Viewed in this context, the new concept store represents a strategic effort to strengthen the footwear category within the broader The North Face business.
The choice of Shinsaibashi is also notable. The district is home to major footwear brands including Nike, HOKA, Salomon, and ASICS, placing The North Face directly within one of Japan’s most competitive footwear retail environments.
The store also reflects the brand’s strategy of applying technologies originally developed for outdoor activities to a wider range of use cases, including road running and lifestyle footwear. Rather than focusing solely on product expansion, the initiative combines retail, service, and category specialization to support the company’s broader footwear growth strategy.
Leveraging Retail to Demonstrate Expertise
This case demonstrates how a dedicated retail and experience hub can be used to communicate a brand’s expertise and technical capabilities within a strategic product category. Beyond product development, physical stores can serve as a platform for making category strategies more visible and tangible to consumers.
Companies entering Japan should consider how they can communicate the technical value and specialized knowledge behind their products. In this case, services such as foot measurement and expert consultation help convey product benefits and category expertise in ways that product displays alone may not achieve.
The case also highlights how retail stores can be used for more than sales. They can function as spaces to communicate a brand’s technology, know-how, and perspective on a category. For companies seeking to develop new markets or strengthen strategic product categories, aligning retail experiences with broader business objectives can be an effective approach.
Current Performance (as of September 2026
THE NORTH FACE sales (FY2025/3):*¥101.5 billion (+4.1% YoY)
Footwear sales (FY2025/3):¥5.9 billion
Footwear sales enhancement pilot: Footwear sales increased 20% after expanding footwear assortments in 40 existing THE NORTH FACE storesTargets
Footwear sales target (FY2029/3):¥10.0 billion
THE NORTH FACE sales target (FY2029/3):¥128.0 billion
