10 High-End Sneaker Brands You Should Know

Step up your game.

Mar 15, 2013
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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

There's nothing wrong with Nikes, Vans, Jordans, and Chucks, but sometimes you just need to take your kick game to the next stratosphere. Boots, hardbottoms, and casual footwear like desert boots and Wallabees are good for switching it up, but when you really want to show off, you slip on a pair of luxury sneakers. What separates these kicks from their counterparts—besides the price of admission—are the quality and materials. We're talking pony hair, luxe leathers, and Italian suede made by hand in fine European factories— or under the watchful eye of Japanese artisans. You already know Maison Martin Margiela, Rick Owens, and Raf Simons, but there are plenty more ways to step your game up. Here are 10 High-End Sneaker Brands You Should Know.

10. Our Legacy

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Price Range: $200-$300/pair

Scandinavian menswear label Our Legacy developed a cult following for their designs that pushed the envelope while still remaining in most guy's comfort zones. The clothes were different enough, but still familiar in the sense that they didn't scream "fashion." Their sneakers carry on that legacy of subtle coolness. We're especially fond of the simple running trainers that have recently dropped, the wool fabric on the toebox really sets off the design.

9. Del Toro Shoes

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Price Range: $320-$335/pair

While the Miami-based brand burst onto the scene offering cheeky versions of the classic velvet slipper, their Italian-made footwear is also making a splash for their loud designs. Utilizing materials like camo pony hair, and exotic stingray in addition to leather and suede, they put it on versatile silhouettes like chukka sneakers and low-tops. To bring things full circle, they've flipped the script of the quintessential velvet slipper and transformed it into a sneaker.

8. wings + horns

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Price Range: $380-$420/pair

Not only does wings + horns make some of the most comfortable knits on the market, people have long slept on their equally awesome footwear. Made in Italian factories out of buttery suede and genuine calfskin leather, details like side zips and leather cap toe accents make these stand apart from the pack, without sticking out like a sore thumb.

7. Golden Goose Deluxe Brand

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Price Range: $350-$500/pair

Meet Italy's version of Converse. Simple cotton sneaks meet artisan craftsmanship, while the shoes still retain a rock-and-roll edge. The result? You'll look like an Italian indie rocker who likes to party, but only drinks Peroni. Leather jacket and skinny jeans sold separately.

6. Pierre Hardy

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Price Range: $450-$700/pair

Originally trained in dance and the arts, it's easy to spot the Mondrian-inspired influences in many of Hardy's shoes. While they're anything but subtle, a pair of Pierre Hardy sneakers shows a man who isn't afraid to take charge of his style. They're the perfect pop to any all-black or otherwise tonal kit.

5. Common Projects

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Price Range: $350-$400/pair

Masters of minimalism Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami started this line in 2004. Inspired by Italian craftsmanship and clean lines, these remain a staple of cool guys who fly a little under the radar. The only branding is the little serial number on the side of each shoe, which also denotes sizing. Sturdier and with more padding than your average plimsoll, they've since introduced other silhouettes like running sneakers and chukkas into the mix.

4. Armando Cabral

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Price Range: $300-$550/pair

Fashion model Armando Cabral has walked down many runways and found himself on the covers of J. Crew catalogs, but when he's not in front of the camera, he enjoys designing shoes. His own collection of footwear translates the wordly influences he picked up traversing the globe, and combines them with luxe material and superior craftsmanship for sneakers that are the epitome of understated cool.

3. Bottega Veneta

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Price Range: $560-$730/pair

Known for their woven "intrecciata" leather, Italian leather goods manufacturer Bottega Veneta makes some really sick footwear. Although their bags and leather goods remain popular, their shoes are underrated pieces of luxury. Effortlessly mixing in the intrecciata weave on slip-on sneakers and high-tops, the result is a high-fashion sneaker that practically dresses up a suit, rather than the other way around.

2. Alejandro Ingelmo

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Price Range: $400-$550/pair

Designer Alejandro Ingelmo infuses his Cuban heritage into the footwear he makes. That's why you're always sure to find plenty of color and reinterpretations of menswear staples like loafers. Dedicated to craftsmanship (his family made shoes in Spain before migrating to Cuba), Ingelmo makes sure the quality of his products are as well-thought out as the designs.

1. Visvim

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Price Range: $600-$1,050

A blogger's best-kept secret, Visvim is popular among celebs from John Mayer to Kanye West. The man behind the brand, Hiroki Nakamura, does an excellent job of finding inspiration from classic silhouettes like mocassins and boat shoes, and tweaking them with an Air Max-inspired sole, giving them a futuristic edge. When the apocalypse finally comes and we're reduced to nomadic shamans wandering what's left of the earth, we will probably be wearing a pair of FBTs.

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