Shopping for sneakers has got a whole lot easier. Within the last few years, smaller shoe companies have been making strides toward the spotlight by carving out their lane alongside industry giants.
We’ve seen clothing brands like Soulland link up with Li-Ning, viral drops from MSCHF that put larger companies to shame, and Salomon's trade on StockX grow by a huge 2,277% in 2022. Though legacy brands like Nike and adidas have cornered the sneaker game with an endless supply of kicks, there's a growing hunger for more niche brands, like Athletics Footwear.
Before the brand was founded, its owners had already laid the groundwork by building separate careers within the industry. Myles O'Meally previously worked for Nike before founding Areté, Chris Kyvetos founded Sneakerboy, and Neil Besson was formerly at Puma.
Athletics Footwear prides itself on not following trends or pouring resources into the latest footwear technology. “We're not going to claim that we've got a new thing that's going to make you run faster or jump higher,” Kyvetos previously told Highsnobiety. “It's about using the best possible technologies available to us, and applying that to the resumption of these products and their stories and bringing them into a more urban setting.”
At the moment the brand is continuing to build on the foundation of its two models – fittingly named the One and One.2. Both sneakers share the same streamlined silhouette and are crafted using the same technical materials like phylon underfoot cushioning in the midsole, and a DURACOMP high-grade rubber outsole for multi-directional traction.
While the One utilizes a seamless one-step polyester upper, the One.2 is made with a recycled 3D-molded upper that enables the brand to use materials like mesh for added breathability.
The brand isn’t for everyone, as Kyvetos willingly admits. “It's designed for somebody who isn't driven by marketing. You don't need to be shown it on a certain person for it to be interesting to you,” he says.
Rather than whipping up new silhouettes every season or discontinuing its older models, Athletics Footwear is dedicated to practicing patience with its design process and has no plans to challenge the giants in the sneaker industry. “You can be so easily pulled and swayed by the impact of bigger brands. You're carrying that impact around in your pocket,” Kyvetos tells us. “It's a real challenge to basically ignore all the noise and say, 'We've got a small idea,' which is what we have. It's an idea that's rooted in product.”
Against a backdrop of weekly overhyped releases, Athletics Footwear is a breath of fresh air not only for the sneaker industry but for fashion altogether. If more brands adhered to taking it slowly and implemented a similar ethos we’d have less waste, which will hopefully lead to a better future ahead.
There might be plenty of sneakers out there that claim to be general-purpose but when it’s all said and done, Athletics Footwear is one of the few creating timeless sneakers with the right goal in mind.
Check out the latest from Athletics Footwear below
