JD launches its largest-ever flagship store at Manchester’s Trafford Centre with a helping hand from Central Cee, Nemzzz, Beta Squad and Usain Bolt.

Where were you if you weren’t at JD’s unveiling of its largest-ever flagship store at Manchester’s Trafford Centre? Reaffirming its position at the heart of UK youth culture, the store hosted performances from rap powerhouse Central Cee and local, rapidly rising wordsmith Nemzzz last weekend, including a crowd-hyping rendition of their collaboration, ‘DILEMMA’.

Spanning 41,000 square feet, the store is now JD’s biggest space to date. The night brought together like-minded music lovers and sneaker-heads, who mixed with Olympic gold medallist Usain Bolt and YouTube sensations Beta Squad. Fans had the rare chance to race against Bolt in a 100-metre sprint challenge and Beta Squad kept the energy high with their signature humour and interaction throughout the morning, opening the shope in style.

One of the weekend’s biggest moments for sneaker fans came with the re-release of the Nike Air Max 95 OG ‘Mandarin’ – also known as the “110s” – a cult favourite trainer that Nike originally dropped in 2011. The silhouette was released at 1:10 PM in a nod to the shoe’s nickname.

JD’s Trafford Centre store has set a new benchmark for what retail can be: a space where global rap stars, Olympic champions, YouTube sensations and fans can mingle over a shared love of sneaker culture. With exclusive products from Nike, adidas, PUMA, On Running and JD-only labels like Unlike Humans, the store looks set to be a cultural hub built around community and creativity.