Someone Just Bet Big on Beverly Hills—And Sneaker Culture Better Pay Attention
The world's third-largest sportswear company is opening its first U.S. flagship.
On February 13th, ANTA will cut the ribbon on a 2,500-3,000 square foot store at 330 N. Beverly Drive in Beverly Hills. The ceremony features Kyrie Irving and Klay Thompson. City officials will be there. The Beverly Hills Chamber of Commerce will be there. This isn’t soft-launching a pop-up in a mall... this is a statement.
And if you’re paying attention to where global sneaker culture is actually headed, you should be watching closely.
The Location Tells the Whole Story
330 N. Beverly Drive sits between Lululemon and Guess, with Wilson—the iconic American sports equipment brand—literally next door. That proximity isn’t coincidental. ANTA is positioning itself not as a challenger brand scrapping for shelf space at Foot Locker, but as an equal to American sportswear establishment.
Think about what that means. Wilson has been synonymous with American sports since 1913. Lululemon redefined athletic apparel. Guess built a fashion empire. And now ANTA, a Chinese company most Americans couldn’t identify two years ago, is setting up shop right in the middle of them on one of the most expensive retail streets in the world.
This is about legitimacy. About signaling that ANTA isn’t here to compete for scraps... they’re here to compete for the whole table.
The Numbers You Need to Know
ANTA operates over 12,000 stores globally (by some reports, over 13,000). That’s not a typo. Twelve thousand. For context, Nike has around 1,000 company-owned stores worldwide. ANTA Group’s 2024 revenue exceeded $14 billion... with the ANTA brand itself generating approximately $7 billion of that total. This makes them the world’s third-largest sportswear company behind Nike and adidas.
They own Fila, Descente, Salomon, Arc’teryx, and Wilson. Yes, that Wilson... the one whose store they’re opening next to. In 2019, an ANTA-led consortium (including Tencent, private equity firm FountainVest Partners, and Lululemon founder Chip Wilson’s investment company) acquired Amer Sports for $5.2 billion, bringing Wilson, Arc’teryx, Salomon, Atomic, and Louisville Slugger under ANTA’s control. ANTA holds the majority 53% stake in Amer Sports.
Their athlete roster includes Kyrie Irving (arguably the most culturally influential basketball signature shoe athlete right now), Klay Thompson (four-time NBA champion), . Irving’s ANTA shoes regularly sell out. Thompson’s signature line has genuine traction. These aren’t legacy contracts... these are active, relevant athletes people actually care about.
Their athlete roster includes Kyrie Irving (arguably one of the most culturally influential basketball signature shoe athlete right now), Klay Thompson (four-time NBA champion), and a number of international stars. Irving’s shoes sell. Thompson's signature line has genuine traction. These aren't legacy contracts... these are active, relevant athletes people actually care about.
If you haven’t read my deep dive on their newly acquired stake in PUMA and how ANTA became a global sportswear powerhouse, start there. It explains why this Beverly Hills store matters more than you think.
Why Beverly Hills, Why Now
Beverly Hills isn’t just expensive real estate. It’s cultural signaling. It’s where brands go when they want to announce they’ve arrived. When you open a flagship in Beverly Hills, you’re saying “we belong in the conversation.”
ANTA CEO Samuel Tsui didn’t mince words: “Opening our first U.S. flagship in Beverly Hills is a defining moment for ANTA. This store represents our commitment to the U.S. market and our belief that sport, culture, and performance innovation belong on the world’s biggest stages.”
That’s not typical corporate-speak hedging. That’s confidence (and maybe an intentional mention of “defining moment” for sneaker culture). And it should be... because ANTA has already proven they can build a flagship store that actually matters. Their Shanghai flagship on East Nanjing Road isn’t just retail space, it’s an experience. Multiple floors. Olympic-themed displays. A 600-shoe digital installation celebrating the brand’s history. Digital integration. The Beverly Hills store will likely follow that blueprint.
The timing also matters. Nike is struggling with leadership transitions and market share losses. adidas is recovering from self-inflicted brand damage. Under Armour is... well, we all know what happened there. The American sportswear establishment has cracks. ANTA sees the opening.
The Cultural Test
Here’s the reality: ANTA can have all the stores, all the athletes, all the revenue they want... but if American sneaker culture doesn’t accept them, none of it matters.
And “American sneaker culture” is notoriously difficult to crack. It’s not rational. It’s not about performance specs or price points. It’s about identity, authenticity, and a kind of cultural credibility that can’t be manufactured.
Li-Ning has been trying for over a decade to break through in the U.S. with Dwyane Wade as their face. They’ve made progress, but they’re still niche. Chinese sportswear brands have struggled to translate domestic success into American cultural acceptance, not because the products aren’t good... but because sneaker culture here operates on different logic.
ANTA has one massive advantage those brands don’t: Kyrie Irving. Love him or hate him, Kyrie’s signature shoes drive culture. His ANTA KAI 1 was genuinely good. Kids wear them. Collectors want the limited editions. That’s the kind of cultural traction that matters.
And ANTA isn’t wasting that momentum.
The KAI 3 “Mentality” Pack: Timing Is Everything
The Beverly Hills store opening on February 13th isn’t happening in a vacuum. ANTA is coordinating the launch with NBA All-Star Weekend in Los Angeles (February 14-16) and dropping one of their biggest Kyrie releases to date: the KAI 3 “KAI Mentality” Pack.
This is calculated. This is how you build momentum.
The pack includes the performance-focused ANTA KAI 3 in the “KAI Mentality” colorway alongside the Hélà Roots “KAI Mentality” lifestyle silhouette. The performance model features lightweight construction, responsive cushioning, and multidirectional traction built for Kyrie’s signature quick cuts and controlled chaos. The Hélà Roots translates that same competitive mindset into an off-court lifestyle shoe, with a segmented sole divided into four symbolic plates representing core principles tied to Irving’s personal and cultural values.
The colorway itself reflects Irving’s approach through restraint... layered materials and sharp color contrasts symbolizing focus, discipline, and composure under pressure. It’s not flashy for flashy’s sake. It’s intentional storytelling through design.
But here’s what makes this release different from typical All-Star drops: ANTA is using the Beverly Hills flagship as the anchor for the entire activation. Customers who purchase ANTA products at the store between February 2-14 receive a golden ticket granting access to Kyrie’s “Antaland” event at the Santa Monica Pier on February 15. That’s direct consumer connection. That’s experiential marketing. That’s the kind of thing Nike used to do before they decided algorithms mattered more than culture.
The pack also includes a full All-Star Weekend apparel lineup—Hélà All-Star Hoodie, Shirt, and Shorts—creating a complete collection that positions ANTA as more than just performance basketball. They’re building a lifestyle brand around Kyrie’s identity, not just slapping his name on shoes.
The timing connects everything: flagship store opens February 13th, All-Star Weekend runs February 14-16, KAI 3 Mentality drops during the weekend, “Antaland” event happens February 15th, and all of it centers on the Beverly Hills store as the hub. That’s not coincidence. That’s a brand understanding how to build cultural moments.
If ANTA can build on that momentum, if they can make the Beverly Hills store a genuine destination, if they can convince American consumers that ANTA belongs in the same conversation as Nike and adidas... this changes everything.
What Happens Next
The February 13th opening is just the beginning. ANTA has made it clear that Beverly Hills is the “foundation for future brand expansion, athlete partnerships, and consumer engagement nationwide.”
Translation: more stores are coming. More athlete deals are coming. More investment in American market share is coming.
The Beverly Hills store is the test case. If it works... if sneakerheads actually show up, if the product moves, if the cultural integration happens naturally rather than forced... ANTA has the resources to scale rapidly. Remember, this is a company that operates 12,000 stores globally. They know how to build retail infrastructure. The question isn’t whether they can execute operationally. The question is whether American consumers will care.
And there’s precedent for optimism here. ANTA’s acquisition strategy has been surgical. They bought Fila when everyone thought it was dead, then watched it explode in popularity. They acquired Salomon, Arc’teryx, and Wilson... all brands with genuine cultural credibility. They didn’t try to reinvent these brands. They gave them resources and let them be themselves.
If ANTA applies that same philosophy to their U.S. expansion... if they let Kyrie and Klay genuinely shape the brand’s American identity rather than dictating it from headquarters in China... this could actually work.
The big questions:
Will sneakerheads actually show up to the Beverly Hills store, or will it be a tourist curiosity?
Can ANTA translate their 12,000-store Chinese infrastructure into culturally relevant American retail?
Will Kyrie and Klay be enough to carry the brand, or do they need more high-profile signings?
How will Nike and adidas respond to a well-funded competitor with legitimate athlete partnerships and operational scale?
Can ANTA navigate American cultural and political sensitivities around Chinese brands?
That last one matters more than people want to admit. We’re in an era where origin matters, where geopolitical tensions affect consumer behavior, where “Made in China” can be a liability even when the product is exceptional. ANTA opening a flagship in Beverly Hills is a bet that quality, athlete partnerships, and cultural authenticity can transcend those concerns.
Maybe they’re right. Maybe American sneaker culture is more open-minded than we give it credit for. Or maybe we’re about to watch a well-funded expansion fail because the cultural barriers are higher than ANTA anticipated.
The Bottom Line
ANTA opening a flagship in Beverly Hills isn’t just another store launch. It’s a test of whether global sportswear dominance can translate to American cultural acceptance. It’s a bet that Chinese manufacturing power, combined with smart athlete partnerships and premium positioning, can break into a market that’s historically resistant to outsiders.
Twenty years ago, Nike was worried about Reebok. Ten years ago, it was Under Armour. Now it’s ANTA, a brand most Americans have never heard of, opening a flagship store next to Wilson in one of the most expensive retail districts in the world.
Maybe American sneaker culture isn’t ready for ANTA. Maybe this store becomes a footnote in a failed expansion strategy.
Or maybe February 13th is the day we look back on as the moment everything changed.
I’ll be watching. You should be, too.
I’m Nick Engvall, and I’ve been writing about sneakers and culture for decades, from building Eastbay’s first blog to leading the very first Complex Sneakers team to being employee #9 at StockX. I run Sneaker History (website and podcast) and write The Sneaker Newsletter... sneaker lore, business breakdowns, and the stories that connect what we wear to who we are.
Dangit... You just got me all jazzed up and now I'm contemplating cashing in some miles and hotel points to go.
The Beverly Hills location is genius positioning. Opening next to Wilson (which ANTA owns through Amer Sports) while also referencing their PUMA stake shows this isn't just expansion, it's ecosystem building. Kyrie's cultural pull combined with All-Star timing could actualy work where Li-Ning stumbled. The big tes twill be whether sneakerheads show up after launch hype fades.