Two decades ago, VEJA set out to rethink sneakers, starting off with the soil they're made from. Now, 20 years later, the brand is returning to where it all began: Brazil.

In the heart of São Paulo, VEJA is celebrating its 20th anniversary by opening its first-ever store in Latin America.

A Homecoming in Concrete and Glass

Located on São Paulo's most renowned shopping street, 'Rua Oscar Freire', the new VEJA flagship store blends industrial minimalism with cultural depth. The store spans three floors, showcasing exposed bricks, raw concrete slabs, and structural beams, marking VEJA's most ambitious spatial project yet.

The creative force behind the space is Brazilian architect Roberto Somlo, whose vision centres on radical transparency. Intentionally exposing structural elements that are typically hidden, and allowing the building’s raw character to speak for itself. The façade is entirely in glass, letting natural light and São Paulo's urban atmosphere in.

Inside, the display tables are hand-poured using the banch technique, an homage to Lina Bo Bardi, the Italian-Brazilian figure of brutalist architecture. With rough textures and visible veins, the material celebrates imperfection, presence and place. Lighting up the space is a neon installation by Kléber Mateus, a São Paulo artist known for using light to blur the line between art and architecture. It’s not their first collaboration, but it might be the most striking.

Rooted in Movement

At the back of the ground floor is a shoemaker's workshop. This is part of VEJA's global clean, repair, and collect initiative, a growing network of repair stations that now spans ten cities. Here, old sneakers get a second life and circularity becomes tangible.

On the intermediate floor, VEJA introduces a dedicated running zone. Here, visitors can try on the brand’s performance sneakers and put them to the test, literally, on an in-store treadmill.

The top floor shifts into a cultural venue. Designed as a flexible, modular gallery, the space will host artistic residencies, performances, design drops, and installations throughout the year. It’s VEJA’s way of giving the space an extra purpose beyond showcasing a product.

The final stop is the rooftop terrace, immersed with Lina Bo Bardi’s Girafa chairs and tables. It serves as a space to pause, chat, or join a screening under the São Paulo sky.

A Sneaker to Mark the Moment

To celebrate the launch, VEJA is dropping a store-exclusive edition of the V-90. Inspired by São Paulo’s moody skies, the pair features soft grey and black tones, with a subtle 011 imprint, a nod to the city’s area code.

Production is restricted to 471 numbered pairs, mirroring São Paulo’s 471st anniversary in 2025.

What more can to said than this flagship store is exceeding all expectations. It's a return to VEJA's origins to its Brazilian farming families and earliest eco-friendly prototypes. Opening a store here is symbolic, reflective, and respectful, much like the VEJA itself.

All Images: VEJA

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