High-End Kicks: The Best Luxury Sneaker Brands In The World Today
When you think of gold coins, sneakers aren't usually the
first thing you think of. A leather jacket, yes; a navy blue cashmere suit, of
course; But something that will frequently come into contact with bar rugs and
rain-spattered city streets? Not that much.
The usual approach when it comes to trainers is to spend
around £ 100 on a pair of mid-range kicks that will degrade to the gym or
gardening next year. We're not saying a man shouldn't take a pair of beaters or
two, but if he's willing to push the upper limit of his sneaker budget, there
are bountiful rewards to reap.
The luxury sneaker market has grown exponentially over
the past decade.
As athletic shoes
have established their place in the modern man's everyday wardrobe, spending
over £ 200 on a pair of high-end athletic shoes has become quite a reasonable
splurge of style.
The best materials last longer, the craftsmanship is more
beautiful, and the classic style ages more gracefully. In short, high-end
sneakers offer the most and labels offer the best options.
Drake's Relaxed Tailoring - Click to Buy
Joint projects
When the now iconic Achilles Low sneakers from Common
Projects hit stores in 2009, it was an instant hit. But why? After all, it was
just a simple, minimalist leather sneaker, right? Well yes and no.
The Achilles Low is certainly minimalist in its aesthetics,
but it is anything but simple. A silhouette recreated in Italy, using
traditional shoemaking techniques, filled a gap in the market between tennis
shoes and high-end dress shoes. A shoe capable of enhancing a T-shirt and
jeans, while showing off the part with a suit.
Following its success, the New York / Italian brand has
expanded its lineup and now applies the same level of design excellence and
build quality to everything from Chelsea boots to chunky sneakers.
commonprojects.com
Oliver Cabell Luxury Leather Slippers - Click to Buy
Luxury brand Golden Goose
Wabi-sabi. For those unaccustomed with this Japanese term, it
represents the belief that true beauty is in imperfections. It is cracked
ceramic, pasted with love. It's the old rusty bike that always takes you from A
to B. And, if Golden Goose Deluxe Brand had anything to do with it, it's the
perfectly worn sneakers you wear on your feet.
Not everyone gets Golden Goose sneakers, but maybe that's
part of the appeal. These are elegant Italian leather shoes that are
beautifully battered from the get-go to achieve that authentic vintage
aesthetic. They are not cheap either, which is difficult for some consumers to
accept. For those who promise to the wabi-sabi way of intelligent, however,
this makes sense. Golden Goose sneakers are neither flawless nor flawless, and
that's what makes them special.
goldengoose.com
Gucci
Gucci's contributions to the world of footwear have
traditionally not included much in the sneaker realm. However, that (along with
many other things) transformed when Alessandro Michele took the reins in 2015.
Michele's colorful 1970s-inspired designs and gender-neutral
catwalks have earned her much praise from critics. But it was his presentation
of the house's flagship sneaker, the Ace, that marked him as a master of design
in the eyes of the mainstream.
Gucci's Ace sneaker, with its iconic stripes and vibrant needlework,
was an instant classic and was followed by a host of sneaker launches,
including trendy oversized shoes, retro sneakers, and more. It's a move that
has helped put the Italian brand's name back on the footwear map, positioning
it as one of the vital elements of luxury athletic shoes.
gucci.com
ASKET Premium Menswear Staples - Click to Buy
Berluti
It has been 120 years since Alessandro Berluti put his name
on the first pair of shoes in the house. In the time since, Berluti (featured
image, above) has become synonymous with exquisite craftsmanship, exceptional
leather, and the most beautiful, deepest, and richest patina to be found on
earth.
At first, Berluti's production consisted almost entirely of
dress shoes. But as times have changed, the brand is also coming into focus,
with high-end sneakers now accounting for a large chunk of its sales.
Venetian leather,
