We all know that experiential retail is overtaking the hum-drum, bland utilitarian retail approach of decades past. Now, in-store retail needs to be exciting, innovative, fun, hip to get customers off their couches and into stores. Everything from in-store-only sales events to virtual reality goggles have become de rigueur for in-store retailers.

The shoe industry has been ahead of the game, nailing experiential retail with unique store designs and one-of-a-kind in-store experiences. Perhaps because shoes are best bought in-person, with the opportunity to try for fit and give them a test run around the store, shoe retailers have the advantage of experience when it comes to providing an interactive in-store experience. But where there used to be couches and slanted mirrors for trying on shoes, now there’s a whole new playing field.

Here are some of the best innovations in in-store retail by shoe retailers now:

Nike
Nike has been experimenting with experience in stores across the country. They made a splash last summer with the opening of Nike Live in Los Angeles, a members-only store designed to leverage localized consumer data to inform stock. A member-club style store, Nike Live focuses on the personal--staff that know your name, products that align with your buying habits. The innovative store boasts a sneaker “bar” with high-top barstools, a Dynamic Fit Zone to test-run shoes on treadmills, and even a promotional vending machine that Nike App users can unlock by redeeming points.

DSW
The shoe warehouse, known for its focus on product quantity over style, is staying current by building partnerships with a variety of services that have kept customers coming. A partnership with W Nail Bar has brought salon services such as manicures, pedicures, and waxing to five brick-and-mortar stores across the country, providing a pampering experience alongside finding the perfect shoe. Meanwhile, DSW’s Los Vegas location provides a whole host of services--salon care, shoe repairs, even live entertainment to draw customers in. The store’s magnum opus is a “Shoevator,” a shoe escalator featuring three elevator lifts to display numerous shoe offerings.

TOMS
TOMS Shoes is known just as much for their high-quality shoes as they are for their altruistic mission--for every pair of shoes purchased, a pair is given to a child in need. Thanks to VR technology, the company has brought the results of their mission to their stores--in 2015, over 100 stores provided VR headsets that virtually bring shoppers to Peru to see the impact of their purchase. The headsets take customers alongside TOMS employees on a “giving trip” to a local school, where cheering children celebrate as they get shoes fitted. Children wave through the screen, jump rope on a playground, and dance in their new shoes. It’s a way to bring the impact of a purchase to the customer, in an immersive and unique experience they’re sure to remember.

The Takeaway
Shoe retailers have a lot of opportunity to think creatively in order to provide an innovative retail experience. The experiential nature of shoe shopping lends itself to exciting and engaging retail. From in-store treadmills to VR headsets, the future of retail is here--and these stores are leading the pack.