Sneakers are having a moment right now – just look at the many high fashion houses who are coming up with their own lines after exhausting the collaboration sneaker space.
We get it. They’re comfortable, practical, yet stylish. They’re cool, casual and are truly made for walking.
If you’d like to win some style and cool points even among your most hardcore sneakerhead friends, here are four under-the-radar luxury sneaker brands they’ve probably never heard of, so you can school them when it comes to the foot cred game.
Android Homme
Bold. Detailed. Inspired. Android Homme is a luxury sneaker brand conceptualised in Los Angeles and produced in Portugal. Each pair is thoughtfully constructed using opulent fabrics and equipoised proportions to achieve a highly-defined aesthetic. Android Homme is an homage to the ethos of the Golden Ratio – 1:618 – heralded as the most beautiful ratio in nature, art and architecture. Each style delivers balanced perspectives, considered composition and a commitment to high-spec design and skilled production that flows naturally and seamlessly through every pair. W androidhomme.co.uk
Athletic Propulsion Labs
APL sits at the intersection of luxury and performance, creating the world’s finest footwear for optimum comfort for all aspects of lifestyle from training to travel and everything in between. Rooted in technology and innovation, APL has been at the forefront of performance footwear since the introduction of the Concept 1 basketball shoe featuring groundbreaking Load N’ Launch® technology, designed to instantly increase vertical leap. The combination of APL’s world-class patented technologies and its unique, innovative design vision has enabled APL to be carried in over 300 of the finest luxury retailers in the world from Bergdorf Goodman to Le Bon Marché. Most recently APL has launched global partnerships with American Airlines, F45 and the Williams Racing Team and APL will be opening it’s first global flagship at The Grove in Los Angeles, December 2019. W athleticpropulsionlabs.com
ETQ Amsterdam
Founded in 2010 in Amsterdam, ETQ derived under the mindset of eliminating over-accessorised branding and focusing primarily on letting the quality of the product speak for itself. It was created as an answer to the luxury trend of over-abundant branding and excessive pricing where designs are not confined to fashion – it simply aspire to provide high quality, well-designed essentials for the right price. It works with a minimalistic philosophy, as it believes sustainability and durability are better for us and our world. W etq-amsterdam.com
Filling Pieces
In 2009, Guillaume Philibert wanted to design a premium sneaker at a fair price point. This led to the birth of Filling Pieces and its signature sneaker, the Low Top, the first shoe to bridge the gap between streetwear and high fashion. The Low Top became more than just a piece of footwear. It was a symbol of affordable, luxury design, a product that levelled the playing field. Filling Pieces has continued to evolve, adapting and expanding to now include more innovative footwear silhouettes and a full ready-to-wear collection complete with bags, accessories and eyewear. W fillingpieces.com
Mallet
Established in 2015 and within 24 months, Mallet Footwear retails online in high-end stores across the United Kingdom and Europe. Its creative director Tommy Mallet, an avid trainer collector and urban fashion trendsetter, had an idea for a unique pair of trainers but was unable to innovate his idea from any stores’ shelves so he took his own pen to paper and started designing. He then partnered with co-founder Evren who specialised in production expertise and, together, they worked on a sample sold online which took off to great reception. Tommy and Evren have never forgotten that first rush of pride after seeing their unique, original, high-end footwear and they both strive to ensure that every customer feels their pride and the uniqueness in every pair of Mallet’s. W mallet.com