WICKER PARK — In less than the amount of time it takes some people to wear out a pair of running shoes, a Japanese-owned sneaker behemoth that parked its first Chicago area standalone store right next door to a new Nike has closed.
"A new tenant is coming in," said Joseph Dushey, the building's owner, who confirmed Asics' closure on Monday.
Dushey, vice president of leasing and acquisitions at NYC-based Jenel Management Corporation, declined to talk further about Asics' abrupt departure from the 3,292-square-foot spot that it moved into about 15 months ago.
An inquiry sent to California-based Asics America Corporation, the United States arm of Asics, was not immediately returned on Monday afternoon.
Located just north of the Milwaukee, Damen and North Avenues intersection at 1630 N. Damen Ave. along a stretch of Damen Avenue that is either Wicker Park or Bucktown in a hotly-contested border dispute, Asics replaced Psychobaby, an independently-owned children's apparel and toy shop that relocated to Division Street.
About two weeks ago, a sign went up informing passers-by that Asics would be temporary closed, though on Monday that sign was removed and all of the merchandise appeared to be cleared out.
Dushey declined to reveal any other details about the new tenant except for confirming the company is not a shoe store.
Folks walking around on Damen Avenue on Monday absorbed the news of Asics' exit.
Danny Floyd, a 35-year-old CTA worker who was having lunch with a friend and shopping on his day off, was leaving the Nike store at 1640 N. Damen Ave. with a new pair of shoes. A Finish Line shoe store also is directly across the street at 1629 N. Damen.
When asked if he were aware of the closing of Asics next door, Floyd said that Asics had been his first shopping choice.
"I went there first and it was closed, then I went to Nike second," said Floyd, a self-described "shoe addict" who estimated he owns around 30 pairs of shoes.
Stefan Hersh, owner of Buzz Killer Espresso, a cafe at 1644 N. Damen Ave., who was also walking past the now former Asics building, said he is "always sad to see a retail store leave."
"But on the other hand, maybe something else cooler will come in. A lot of Big Box shoe stores seemed to open on this block in a very short period of time. Maybe it was too much for one neighborhood to support," Hersh said.
Danny Floyd preferred to shop at Asics but ended up buying a new pair of Nikes instead on Monday. [DNAinfo/Alisa Hauser]
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