QV And A New Balance
In Albert Coates Lane at QV Melbourne, the New Balance Grey Store occupies a different space to what most people expect from a sneaker brand. The fit-out is considered and deliberate; the product is limited and carefully chosen, and the experience is built around access to releases that are genuinely hard to find elsewhere. We sat down with Jay and Tiffany from the Grey Store team to hear what makes it worth your attention.
For someone who has never been, how would you describe the Grey Store experience?
Walk in and the difference is felt immediately. The fit-out is nothing like a standard store - instead it's selected and deliberate, with each shoe placed so it can be admired rather than just grabbed off a shelf. It's a space that encourages you to slow down and appreciate the craftsmanship on show. "Unlike a standard New Balance store, the Grey Store offers exclusive access to Made in USA, Made in UK, limited-edition releases and some of the world's most sought-after collaborations," Jay explains, including the much-hyped Stone Island drop.
Can you walk us through how the curation process works?
The exclusivity isn't by accident, it's a curation process, and one the store clearly takes pride in. "We're using our premium ranges in apparel - our NB Grey range and our SDS (Shanghai Design Studio) ranges are highly curated collections, premium made fabrics, and then obviously our collaborations and minimally selected shoe releases," says Jay. Even the window is an important part of the store's aesthetic, teasing what's coming before it even hits the floor. "We've even got, at the front, a little sneak peek of what's about to be released in the window," Tiffany adds, a small detail that gives people a reason to stop and look every time they walk past.
How has sneaker culture changed and where does the Grey Store sit within that?
As Tiffany puts it, "Sneakers used to be something traditionally for running, but now they are a statement, and something very important to Melbourne fashion." That shift is reflected in what sits on the floor at the Grey Store. From the New Balance Tokyo Design Studio (TDS) MT2 - a Mary Jane that draws on technical trail construction and the clean lines of a traditional ballet flat - to lo-fi 1906L silhouettes, the edit speaks to a customer who sees footwear as part of how they present themselves, not just what they wear to work out.
Is there a particular release or moment at the Grey Store that stands out for you?
Some moments capture that shift better than others, and the Stone Island collection is one of them. Its drop landed the very same day the store opened, a coincidence that was warmly welcomed and was "a really cool moment," Jay recalls. But the big collab moments aren't the only things on the schedule worth celebrating. The smaller drops matter just as much, like the seasonal colourways popping up through the Made in UK and Made in USA lines. It's a highlight for Tiffany, who says, "I still currently love our seasonal colours in the Made collection. I think every year they just get more exciting."
Why was QV the destination for the Grey Store?
The new Grey Store sits inside a precinct built for shoppers who favour quality, a philosophy its neighbouring stores embrace too. As Tiffany puts it, "a lot of the customer base here prefer quality over quantity, and I think that's something we definitely provide here at the Grey Store." It's retail built for people who care about the story behind what they wear, not just the label stitched on it.
It's clear the Grey Store isn't chasing the trends; it wants to curate them. With new colourways, exclusive collabs, and limited drops always rotating through.
Discover the New Balance Grey Store in Albert Coates Lane.
