10 Sneaker Brands You Need to Stop Sleeping On

When it comes to sneaker brands, a lot of people stay in their comfort zone of Nike, Jordan Brand, adidas, and maybe Saucony, Reebok, ASICS, Puma, and New Balance if they're feeling adventurous. But besides the major brands and the also-rans, there are other companies out there. And they're making great sneakers, too.

To open your mind about including different sneakers in your rotation, we've put together a collection of brands that are doing great work but are, unfairly, going unnoticed. So here they are. Give them a chance. These are 10 Sneaker Brands You Need to Stop Sleeping On.

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Brand: Filling Pieces
Founded: 2009
From: The Netherlands  

Right now, the Netherlands is a hotbed for the convergence of sneaker culture and men's style, and Filling Pieces embodies this growing trend. Making its footwear in Portugal, the brand pursues a luxury quality to its product. But it's not stuck in the rut of producing traditional high-end sneakers. Filling Piece experiments with textures, fabrics, and prints, and has even collaborated with Ronnie Fieg, allowing him to design his own silhouette. 

Brand: Pony
Founded: 1972
From: U.S. 

Pony is a Product of New York. At at time the brand was founded, it had a handful of A-list athletes on its roster including Dan Marino, Lawrence Taylor, Pele, Earl Campbell, and Spud Webb who infamously won the 1986 NBA Dunk Contest in a pair of City Wings. Those times have passed. Dan Marino isn't going to throw anymore TD passes and Spud Webb isn't going to dunk anymore basketballs. So what's Pony to do? Start from the brand's beginning and build something new. 2014 has seen Pony collaborate with Wish ATL and atmos NYC, not to mention a 2013 project with Acht Amsterdam. Who doesn't love simple high-tops in either red or mint suede with gum soles? If Pony continues in this direction, it won't just be a memory of sneaker lore but a player in the present.

Brand: Etonic
Founded: 1876
From: U.S. 

Etonic is back. Some might remember the brand for its line of running sneakers, but it also made a brief splash in the NBA thanks to one of the greatest centers of all time, Hakeem Olajuwon. "The Dream" sneaker, which Olajuwon wore in 1984, was the brand's catalyst to get back into footwear. But for those who aren't looking for a retro basketball sneaker, don't fret: Etonic plans on bringing back its runners too. It only takes a brief scroll through the brand's Instagram page to know that the "Suede" will also make a return. Let's just cross our fingers that the Quasar, which also released in '84, is on its path back to sneaker store shelves.

Brand: Fred Perry
Founded: 1952
From: England

Fred Perry is known as a menswear brand which takes tennis heritage and turns it into higher-end menswear. (You’ve probably seen the brand’s polos before.) But something unexpected happened with the advent of Wimbledon this year: Fred Perry decided to work with Bodega, Hanon, and Firmament on the 1934 tennis sneaker. These collaborations came at the right time: 2014 has been the year of the classic tennis sneaker with the revival of the Stan Smith, and Fred Perry's tennis history makes the brand fit nicely into that niche. And to top things off, Fred Perry knows how to work with other brands—peep its clothing collabs with Raf Simons, Stussy, and Liberty.

Brand: ETQ Amsterdam
Founded: 2010
From: The Netherlands 

Not every sneaker brand has a storied history centered around a factory in the 19th century. ETQ Amsterdam is just a good, high-quality sneaker maker. Although the brand is based in Amsterdam, it makes its sneakers in Portugal. And to this point, has only offered a few different models. As the seasons have gone on, though, we've seen ETQ rollout more models and even introduce a couple runners into its range of throwback luxury sneakers which focus more on aesthetic than technology.

Brand: Greats 
Founded: 2013
From: U.S.  

There hasn't been a lot of product released from Greats Brand, in terms of silhouettes, just yet. But the brand's focus is on simplifying silhouettes and offering them at a reasonable price. And when you know who's righting Greats' ship, it makes even more sense. The brand was founded by sneaker industry veterans Jon Buscemi and Ryan Babenzien, and its early product has a definitive #menswear tilt—including a collaboration with Nick Wooster on metallic slip-ons. Greats' latest sneaker, The Bab, might be its most appealing. Named after brand co-founder Babenzien, The Bab is an airy, running-inspired sneaker that has the height of a chukka and monochrome upper. Better yet, you get more Bab for your buck: There are bundles currently available that make buying more pairs of The Bab cost-effective.

Brand: Karhu
Founded: 1916
From: Finland

If the first time you heard of Karhu was when the brand collaborated with Sneakersnstuff on the “Moomin” pack, you’re kind of late. The Finnish footwear brand has been around for almost 100 years. Sneakerheads might pay more attention to the brand’s classic silhouette, the Albatross, but it's also is a modern company that splits itself into two categories: Running and Originals. It will be interesting to see if Karhu, which translates to “bear” in Finnish, will catch on amongst sneaker collaborations after its work with SNS. But the brand’s history goes far beyond outfitting nostalgic consumers, it has a legitimate history of outfitting Finnish Olympians.

Brand: Norman Walsh
Founded: 1961
From: UK 

New Balance isn't the only brand still manufacturing quality sneakers in the UK. Meet Norman Walsh, an athletic brand with more than 50 years in the business. The British brand is focused on offering archival sneakers that are still made the way they were in the past. Although Norman Walsh does not produce sneakers that correlate to modern athletics, its catalog is full of models with performance history. Its line of trail runners have a very aggressive tread, and the brand even has sneakers that were designed for marathon usage. Even with Norman Walsh's true sporting days in the past, all of its designs are clean and can be worn today.

Brand: Le Coq Sportif
Founded: 1882
From: France

Out of all these brands, Le Coq Sportif might be the best known, but it’s still, at least in the U.S., unfairly slept on. For many people in the States, Le Coq Sportif is the French brand that Joakim Noah used to wear, but the brand has one of the longest histories of any footwear brand—it’s been around for over a century and even supplied the uniforms to the U.S. Men’s National Team in the early-1980s. These days, Le Coq Sportif has collabed with Foot Patrol, 24 Kilates, LimitEditions, and Crooked Tongues. It’s also brought back tennis models from Arthur Ashe and Yannick Noah (Joakim Noah’s dad). For those who still need more convincing to wear the brand, Will Smith sported it in his Fresh Prince days. Doesn't get any flyer than that.

Brand: Diadora
Founded: 1948
From: Italy 

You may have owned a pair of Diadora soccer cleats in the ‘90s, but the brand has made a name for itself in 2014. And it has nothing to do with soccer, really. Diadora has brought back the N9000, an ‘80s runner, and let the likes of Patta and Hanon do collaborations. The sneakers were even made in Italy. Not only has Diadora brought back the N9000, including its O.G. colorway, its also made use of other retro silhouettes—the Borg and Seb Impact S T2. With the increased interest in runners from years past, Diadora is a solid option for those who want to step away from more-popular brands right now. And for those willing to dig a little deeper, Diadora is also dropping exclusives at Italian retailers such as Aw Lab.