We have already compiled a list of the best brands making shoes and sneakers and some of them are the ones you’ve never heard of in your entire life.
Take a moment right now to observe the footwear that other people are wearing, wherever you may be. I’m curious about the labels they’re wearing.
There is a good chance that the outcomes of your sneaker poll will look something like this: Adidas, Nike, Converse, New Balance, Nike, maybe a little bit of Reebok if you’re fortunate, Adidas, and Nike.
It is quite evident that just a select few businesses have a stranglehold on the market for sneakers, and this is true regardless of how iconic the shoe is or how limited the release is.
The question now is: what are you meant to do if you don’t want to walk in the well-cushioned steps that everyone else has taken?
We may count ourselves fortunate that the market is rife with lesser-known shoe manufacturers, each of which puts its distinctive twist on the typical, run-of-the-mill style of athletic footwear.
They may not have the same kind of influence in the business world as your Stripes and Swooshes, but one thing they do have going for them is their uniqueness.
- ARKK COPENHAGEN: Although ARKK’s futuristic trainers may appear as if they sprung from a rip in the spacetime material in the year 3000, the company behind them is based in Copenhagen, Denmark. The company has achieved the inconceivable by combining a heavy dose of modern style with that pared-down Scandi look.
The footwear that was produced as a consequence defies convention and cannot be classified into a single category. They are lifestyle trainers with a sports background and an innovation-focused orientation in their business.
Go Danish if you are searching for something eye-catching, unique, and yet manage to be tasteful.
- GOOD NEWS: The British sustainable footwear company Good News makes recycling chic with styles influenced by skateboarding and manufactured from materials that have been repurposed. In addition to this, it maintains a close check on the ethics of its supply chain and gives away any unsold inventory to needy shelters.
The thick soles, which are produced from recycled rubber tires, as well as the textured or patterned uppers, are the unconventional hallmarks of the company.
- ZESPA: Regardless of what you think of the French people, there is no disputing that they are proficient in the use of an atelier. Surprisingly, this remarkable national flare for fashion reaches all the way down to the ankles. And the evidence is in the pudding… that is, if by “pudding” you mean the footwear that the Southern French sneaker firm Zespa handcrafts using artisanal techniques.
Zespa’s brand of elegant minimalism is on par with that of Common Projects since it is produced locally in small quantities by competent employees and uses quality Nappa leather.
Additionally, Zespa’s products are made out of fine leather. The only difference is that these are somewhat less taxing on one’s financial situation.
- SPALWART: We’re suckers for a good history, and unsung Swedish sneaker company Spalwart has a nice one. 4. SPALWART: When the founders of the firm were touring a factory in the countryside of Slovakia, they came upon a room filled with footwear molds from the 1950s. This was the beginning of everything. After giving them a once over and creating a prototype, they immediately realized they had a winner on their hands and began the process of constructing a brand for their product.
Because of its distinctive wabi-sabi style and distinctively vintage appearance, Spalwart has become a favorite among fashion insiders, including Rei Kawakubo, the creative director of Comme des Garçons.
Those who are familiar with the brand tend to like the shoes due to the fact that they have the company’s signature imperfection and make use of quality materials. And those who don’t, well, they will eventually come around to that way of thinking.
- NOVESTA: There must be something in the fresh mountain air of eastern Europe since Novesta is another Slovakian retro company that has a cult following and produces some genuinely good shoes to boot. You may not be familiar with the brand, but it has been steadily operating for almost a century, during which time the designs have more or less stayed the same.
Canvas uppers, a tire tread midsole, and huge lace loops are some of the hallmarks of the Star Master model, which is perhaps the most recognizable version of the shoe.
On the other hand, there are also vintage runners and high-top models available, all of which have fundamental straightforwardness and a solid build throughout.
- APRIX: Take one street designer, a sprinkle of beachy flair, and a bit of minimalism, and squeeze the whole thing through a sieve designed like a skate culture sieve, and you get what you see here. So, it’s something that has a striking resemblance to Aprix.
The name of this simplistic skate-inspired footwear brand is pronounced ah-pree, and it was conceived of by Brendon Babenzien, a designer for Noah who once served as the creative director of Supreme.
Aside from possessing a resume that would leave the knees of the typical streetwear geek weak, Babenzien has an eye over what makes a decent pair of shoes, as seen by his bright selection of stripped-down contemporary classics.
- WALSH: If you believed that the best shoes created in the United Kingdom were only found in Northamptonshire, you might reconsider that assumption since the United Kingdom is also home to some of the best trainers in the world. Look no further than the vintage sneakers that sports footwear veteran Norman Walsh from Lancashire, who has a significant amount of knowledge, wears, as proof.
These are shoes that are dripping with personality, with features such as textiles acquired locally and regional patterns providing a touch that is very British.
Every pair is made by hand at the brand’s factory in Bolton, and they are completed with a Union Jack that is proportionately proportioned to the side.
Keep an eye out for retro running shoe designs such as the Tornado and the Ensign, as well as traditional fell-running boots and the occasional collaborative effort.
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