“The moment Hedi Slimane sent white high-tops down the runway in his July 2004 Dior show was the moment trainers officially entered the luxury sphere,” says Chris Kyvetos, creative director of Sneakerboy, the Melbourne trainer emporium he co-founded in 2013.Set on Little Bourke Street in the city’s financial district, the futuristic shop – designed by Australia’s acclaimed March Studio – takes its cue from the local metro system and Paris’s Grand Palais station. “We wanted to combine this very urban aesthetic with a Parisian sense of glamour,” explains Kyvetos – much like designer sneakers, perhaps, with their mix of “street” and style.The result is a striking tunnel-like space with row upon row of glass shelves stocked with 400 to 500 designs, all dramatically lit and accompanied by LED signs detailing each make and model. As Sneakerboy doesn’t hold any stock on site (shoes are shipped from a central warehouse to anywhere in the world within three to five days), 77sq m of the store’s 80sq m expanse is devoted to dazzling product display.
“We wanted this to be something more than a traditional retail environment,” says Kyvetos.But what really singles Sneakerboy out is its unmatched inventory. There are limited editions – its latest, a Y-3 Qasa with knitwear details (A$485, about £246), sold out within minutes (a second batch is expected by March 31); collaborations with luxury labels such as Kris Van Assche (a take on the brand’s multilace sneaker, about £280); and pre-releases from Saint Laurent (black suede skate shoes with an engraved silver buckle, about £480).Sneaker collectors and connoisseurs will delight in rarely seen models, including grey python Rick Owens high‑tops (about £1,475) and Buscemi’s black Swarovski high‑tops (about £1,315), while classicists may prefer Adidas’s iconic shell-toe Superstar (about £142) or retro Stan Smiths (about £250) reimagined by Raf Simons, which “evoke a sense of nostalgia”. “Sneakers are the ultimate expression of identity and we have something for everyone,” says Kyvetos.
“Plus, as we don’t follow the traditional fashion calendar, our collections are less seasonal.” As such, enduring styles like Maison Martin Margiela’s Replica sneakers (from about £260) – understated trainers that are spot-on “for men who don’t wear suits to work” – are always in stock. Melbourne’s fashion faithful also flock to the store for its clothing and accessories – Versace’s nappa-leather backpack (about £1,520) with the brand’s signature gold medusa head, for example, or the Raf Simons x Sterling Ruby ready‑to-wear collection, which is stocked at only a few boutiques in the world. There are high-tech touches at every turn: like Apple stores, there are no tills – customers pay on their phones or in-store iPads via a Sneakerboy app – and shoe size, style preference and payment history are all stored to ensure future purchases are slick and easy. “I wanted to provide a shopping experience that fits effortlessly with the digital age,” says Kyvetos.
“In the end, buying trainers should be seamless – and fun.”The 15 Most Expensive Sneakers On Sale At Sneaker Con Atlanta 2016 Sneaker Con Atlanta has closed its doors as fans leave the city convention centre with their arms laden and their wallets empty. In a world where even niche hobbys gets their own dedicated fan convention, Sneaker Con in Atlanta is certainly one that deserves the street-cred hype that has surrounded it. Sneaker collecting has grown exponentially in recent years. Ever since Michael Jordan teamed up with Nike for those Air Jordan ankle warmers and the Nike Air Force 1 cemented itself as an important turning point for fashion, sneaker fans have been hunting and buying the things. The rise in sneaker collecting is not just contained in the US either. In Australia stores like Sneakerboy, Culture Kings and High Lows have helped build and nuture a culture of sneaker lovers, many of whom line up for limited editions of new releases. Amercia's Sneaker Con is a meet and greet yard sale of epic proportions.
The sneaker worlds most influential collectors, vloggers, and trendsetters are gathered together to talk about the latest releases and their most recent purchases whilst sneakers sellers are invited to display their wares for the public to buy. There is even a dedicated Sneaker Con Trading Pit erected for the sale of second-hand sneakers. To make sure what you are buying is in fact genuine there is also an Authenticated Booth where customers can find out if the kicks kids are touting are real or fake. As a moving exhibition, Sneakercon pops up across the US. Having just finished in Atlanta, it moves onto Maryland on October 15th. But what has the sneaker press interested is not the exhibits or the speakers but the prices the sneakers are selling for. HypeBeast has profiled the 15 most expensive sneakers which were on sale this past weekend and they may just make your eyes water and your wallets clamp shut. 1. Nike Air Yeezy II Red October – $7,810 2. Louis Vuitton x Kanye West “Don” Patchwork – $6,508
3. adidas Originals YEEZY Boost 750 “Grey/Gum” – $1,757 4. adidas Originals YEEZY Boost 750 “Black” – $1,497 5. Air Jordan 12 “Wings” – $1,432 6. Nike LeBron 8 “South Beach” – $1,301 7. Air Jordan V Retro “Doernbecher” – $1,249 8. Ronnie Fieg x ASICS Gel Lyte III “Homage” – $1,236 9. Nike Dunk SB Low “Tiffany” – $1,171 10. Public School x Air Jordan 12 – $1,041 11. Air Jordan 4 Retro “Toro Bravo” – $585 12. Air Jordan XX3 “Black” – $585 13. Air Jordan XX3 Chicago – $520 14. ACRNYM x Nike Air Presto Mid Hot Lava – $481 15. Nike Dunk SB High “Paid in Full”- $260 Have you subscribed to GQ Australia? You can also follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. View More GQ SocialPosted by shareSNEAKERBOY// @veja Transparency. Posted by shareSee allSNEAKERBOY// Saturday 25 February. Posted by shareSNEAKERBOY// Saturday 18 February. AIR JORDAN 13 "OG" In stores 10am AEDT.