Oct. 31—Skechers is expanding its footprint in Colorado Springs.

The global footwear and apparel retailer plans to open its second Springs store at the First & Main Town Center, the sprawling shopping center on the city's east side.

Skechers will take over 10,800 square feet in a free-standing, 23,550-square-foot building just east of Powers Boulevard and South Carefree Circle; the space had been occupied by Pier 1 Imports, the home décor chain that closed its brick-and-mortar stores in 2020 after filing for bankruptcy.

Skechers will operate next door to Party City, the party supply and decorations store that leases the rest of the building.

A sign on the building says Skechers is "coming soon," though an exact opening date isn't known. Based in Manhattan Beach, Calif., Skechers officials didn't respond to emails seeking more information. Norwood Development Group, the Springs-based developer of First & Main, also didn't know when the retailer would open.

Skechers opened its first Springs store in March 2016 at the Woodmen Commons shopping center, northeast of Academy Boulevard and Woodmen Road on the city's north side.

That store carries multiple styles of men's, women's and children's shoes, as well as apparel. It's unknown if the First & Main store will stock shoes only or also sell clothing.

Skechers also has stores in Aurora, Castle Rock, Fort Collins, Lakewood, Silverthorne and Thornton, according to its website.

Skechers likely has enjoyed strong sales at its Woodmen Commons store in Colorado Springs, which prompted its decision to expand locally, said Dan Rodriguez, a senior managing director with local brokerage Colorado Springs Commercial who marketed the former Pier 1 space on Norwood's behalf.

"I think Skechers has a wide range of products that works for a lot of different consumers," Rodriguez said in explaining why the retailer has appealed to local shoppers.

And while Powers Boulevard has become a retail hotbed over the last 20 years, and shoppers can purchase shoes at department stores along the corridor, there aren't necessarily many full-blown shoe outlets on Powers, he said.

Rodriguez expects Skechers to do well at First & Main, whose roughly 1.4 million square feet of space make it the city's largest retail complex — bigger than either the Chapel Hills or Citadel malls.

First & Main, whose development began around 2000, is now home to J.C. Penney, Lowe's Home Improvement Warehouse, Super Target, a Cinemark movie theater complex, dozens of retailers and restaurants, two hotels and service-oriented businesses.

Applejack Wine & Spirits, the longtime Denver-area liquor store and one of the largest in the state, recently opened in the former Whole Foods space at First & Main, while Portland, Ore.-based Old Spaghetti Factory took over a building that formerly housed the Fox & Hound sports bar.

"A center gets to a certain age and it kind of wonders if it's going to revalidate and continue to do well or if it's going to get older and kind of (head) downward," Rodriguez said. "But we've had really good leasing there in the last couple of years, and good tenants and good people coming that help kind of continue to validate First & Main going forward."