Designer Sneakers – A 21st Century Gold Rush?

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Bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury, the humble sneaker is taking one huge stride toward the forefront of fashion.

Trainers and other styles of casual-footwear have managed to infiltrate themselves into the product range of almost every designer brand. So it comes as no surprise that they are especially popular in China, which is the second largest buyer of trainers in the world after the U.S. according to Forbes.com. It is expected that China’s sales will someday surpass the United States’, as it appears they are on track to soon become the world's number one consumer. The Chinese are also some of the biggest customers when it comes to luxury goods. Bain & Company's latest report on the global luxury industry suggests that were it not for purchases from Chinese shoppers, the overall global market for personal luxury goods from 2012 to 2015 would have contracted by an average 2% annually. Over the last decade the Chinese have generated a lot of growth for luxury brands; so it was only a matter of time before designer trainers rose to prominence.

It is difficult to imagine that there was once a time where wearing sports leggings and trainers outside of the gym was considered a faux pas. In Western culture, Sportswear was always reserved for hip-hop artists and athletes, but now with the rise of trends like Athleisure and Streetwear, trainers have become a staple in fashion. The word Athleisure - included last year in Merriam-Webster's Dictionary - refers to casual clothing designed to be worn for exercising and general use. It has been suggested that it has become popular due to the change in many people's lifestyles, where there seems to be more of a focus on healthy living. Streetwear was a movement borne out of the surf and skate culture in the ‘80s and has become synonymous with teenage boys and young men living carefree and without any worries. The trend has also been embraced because people are favouring comfort and practicality, but still wanted to remain fashionable. Even with Wechat and Renren, the Internet has managed to transport Streetwear style to China. As a trend in fashion, Streetwear is one that Chinese youths (the Post-90s generation), naturally gravitate towards. It especially appeals to those who find Streetwear nostalgic, or who see it as an opportunity to wear the clothes they missed out on - being only children in the ‘90s.

Before these trends rose to prominence, the ‘sporty-chic’ trend made an appearance every couple of years, but now any designer worth their salt includes trainers in their permanent collections. Luxury houses like Gucci, Givenchy and Valentino have capitalised on the popularity of trainers by adding more tailored, high-end versions to their product range. The Gucci Ace low-top and the Valentino Rockstud Untitled trainers are bestsellers for the brands and easily recognisable amongst the many shoes on offer. Having long been associated with fine tailoring and classic cuts, over the past few years Givenchy and Valentino have reinvented their menswear DNA. They did this by introducing more t-shirts, sweatshirt hoodies, sporty jackets and trainers - creating athletic silhouettes that are often paired with a graphic element.

Many brands have also made collaborations with big sportswear names to design something that appeals to their respective followers. Like for instance Y-3 - a cross-pollination between Adidas and the celebrated Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto. The sense of anti-establishment that Streetwear was once associated with is interesting to consider, since so many luxury designers are now cashing in on Streetwear as trend. But these brands are going against the conventional ideas of ‘luxury’ by adopting Streetwear fashion. Brand collaborations were one of the ways that the luxury trainer business grew in the first place and the trend is showing no signs of slowing down.

In 2015 China accounted for 71% of Asia's new billionaires according to UBS/PwC Billionaires Report. The report also showed that China gains a new billionaire every five days. That isn’t to suggest that every young man who buys a pair of Gucci trainers is a billionaire, but it cannot be denied that in their society of upward mobility, many people might wear designer trainers as a status symbol. The Adidas Superstar and New Balance sneakers have become oversaturated, so naturally young men in China might seek a designer alternative. So designers were left with little choice but to cater to their consumers. After all, they know that although many of their clients are young they still have sophisticated taste.