R.A.G. New York

These days some of the worlds leading shoe and fashion designers have branched out into the world of casual sports shoes, turning the lowly sneaker into a work of art. When you buy a designer sneaker, you are not just buying a shoe; you are buying a name and the prestige that goes with it. [...]

Street brands started cropping up and filling a void that was left between high-fashion houses and sportswear. Companies like A Bathing Ape designed, made and sold their own wares for boutique prices. Other brands like Billionaire Boys Club and Ice Cream (both run by music mogul Pharrell Williams of Neptunes fame) floowoed the blueprint laid down by BAPE and once it was evident that there was a market that would pay for high quality sneakers, fashion houses began thinking of ways to capitalize on this emerging demographic.