What: El Corte Inglés has opened Sneakers Room, a dedicated sneaker and urban fashion space on the fifth floor of its Preciados store in Madrid, with the collections also available at Plaza Catalunya in Barcelona and online.

Why it is important: The concept brings specialist sneaker retail into the department store, positioning El Corte Inglés as a multi-brand destination for a younger, culture-driven customer.

El Corte Inglés has unveiled Sneakers Room, a new concept dedicated to sneaker culture and urban fashion, located on the fifth floor of its Preciados store in Madrid. The collections are also available at the Plaza Catalunya store in Barcelona and through the group's online platform. The space is designed to offer a specialised shopping experience in a category that is gaining ground within urban fashion.

The assortment combines exclusive releases, classic models and new arrivals from leading national and international brands, including Nike, Adidas, New Balance, Asics, Puma, Salomon, Saucony, Hoka, On, Crocs, Vans, Jordan, Keen and Reebok. The selection spans chunky models, clogs and contemporary designs alongside retro and classic silhouettes for running, basketball and tennis, complemented by a selection of urban fashion items.

Founded in 1940 by Ramón Areces and César Rodríguez González and headquartered in Madrid, El Corte Inglés is one of Spain's leading retail groups. To accelerate its digital transformation and consolidate its omnichannel model, the company increased its investment by 9.4% in fiscal year 2025, to €577 million.

IADS Notes: Sneakers Room builds on El Corte Inglés' earlier sports-led repositioning in Madrid, where the group relaunched its Puerta del Sol store as a dedicated sports centre with Adidas, Nike and Under Armour shop-in-shops and a ground floor built around sneaker trends (Modaes, January 2026). Other department stores are also reorganising footwear and active categories around curated, destination-style spaces. Bloomingdale's has grown its men's shoe floor by balancing casual sneakers with formal and luxury styles across price points (Footwear News, February 2026). John Lewis is rolling out Sports & Wellness departments organised by activity rather than product category, with brands such as Nike and Brooks alongside gait analysis and run clubs (Press Release, August 2026). The focus on sneaker culture also responds to a generational gap: department store customer bases skew older, while Gen Z shopping habits are shaped by social media and digital channels (Retail Wire, October 2025).

El Corte Inglés increases its commitment to urban fashion with the Sneakers Room space in its Preciados store