At first glance, "high-fashion" and "sneakers" seemingly don't belong to the same world. After all, Fashion—the capital F kind—brings to mind elite snobbery thanks to garments that are prohibitively expensive simply in the interest of being such. Sneakers, on the other hand, are the people's footwear. They are for those who lead a modest, albeit active, lifestyle. Fashion relishes in the delicate and rare, while sneakers trade in the currency of performance and comfort. Yet in today's modern menswear landscape, the world of Fashion is an integral part of the sneaker community. How did that happen? Did fashion brands one day wake up and realize that men were no longer solely interested in hard bottom footwear, particularly during the work week? As offices became more casual, did the demand for proper shoes really fall off that much? Or was it merely a natural progression, brands expanding their businesses into new territories? Whatever the reasons, it's clear that in today's world, no sneaker collection is complete without something high-end in the mix. Yes, like Fashion in general, these luxurious footwear offerings evoke a sense of superiority, but sneakers, unlike more formal footwear, afford a pretty unlimited range of design possibilities—more excitement and more room for intrigue. And sure, Nike, Adidas and Vans will continue to dominate the casual footwear market for the masses, but if the best design ideas in apparel happen at the top, can't the same be true of sneakers? Here we look back at the best high-fashion sneakers of all time, from luxurious nods to mass-market staples to truly innovative designer creations.
Image via Complex Original
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