The Swedish brand Myrqvist who offer Portugese-made welted footwear in the lower price segment has announced its opening of their first international store, on the famous shoe and menswear location Jermyn Street in London. The two-storey 100 square meters space will open the doors later this summer.
Myrqvist started their journey with a successful Kickstarter campaign in 2016. Back then it was entry-level Vietnamese Goodyear welted men’s shoes that was their offering, they switched to a factory in India for some time, but since several years they have all their production in Portugal. The range has continuously expanded, also with cemented loafers, casual sneakers etc. Myrqvist has had two stores in the capital of Sweden, Stockholm, nowadays only with the largest one left.
The brand founder Sebastian Öhrn (in the top picture) has studied in the UK, and they had plans for more presence there a number of years ago. Then Brexit and the pandemic seem to have halted things, not surprisingly, but this week they announced they are to open a large brick and mortar store in London, on 18-19 Jermyn Street. Two separate store spaces has been merged into one, with 100 square meters (about 1,100 square feet) of space over two floors, it’s certainly an ambitious venture they have taken on.
Here’s from Myrqvist store in central Stockholm. Pictures: Myrqvist
As many readers would know Jermyn Street is the home of many men’s shoe brands, but apart from English companies it’s only been French ones like John Lobb Paris and JM Weston represented, so it’s cool to now see a Swedish company make its way here. After a number of shoe stores closing their doors the past years, things seem to be turning around a bit, with for example Arterton’s recent store where brands like Bridlen, Yearn and Acme in the Piccadilly arcade between Jermyn Street and Piccadilly Street, are offered and now Myrqvist follows along. Ambition is to open later this summer, in August or maybe September.
