“A lot of people told us: “you should not open in Berlin, it is difficult there.” But we didn’t care, we always launch projects in the places we love the most.Berlin is a balance between coolness and the weight of history, between modernity and the underground artistic scene. This city reminds us of São Paulo, with a brutalist post-soviet architecture. Every time we come here, we feel at home.” says Sébastien Kopp, co-founder of VEJA.

For the store’s design, VEJA chose to work with the Berliner architects Gonzalez Haase. We worked together using raw materials: concrete, oak, steel, and soil. The inspiration behind these 100 square meters lies in the minimalist design of Berlin, which is already found in VEJA stores in Paris, Bordeaux and New York. The sneaker racks are made of rammed earth: a mixture of soil and concrete. This material was conceived by Frank Lennart, a German craftsman. 

In addition to the men, women, and kids’ collections, an in-store cobbler will propose the repairing and cleaning of sneakers and shoes. 

Our first cobbling project was launched in June 2020 in Darwin, Bordeaux: a space to clean, repair and collect old pairs from VEJA and other brands. In July 2021, a new cobbler shop opened in Paris, in Galeries Lafayette. More than 2 800 pairs have been repaired so far. 

The store will be powered by Bürgerwerke, a supplier on renewable electricity.