What Makes a Great Sneaker? With APL founders Adam and Ryan Goldston

About this episode

Liv Perez interviews APL founders Adam and Ryan Goldston about the evolution of fashion sneakers and their impact on the sneaker industry.

Sneakers used to be one of two things: performance or fashion. Somewhere in the last decade, that line collapsed — and the shoes most of us are reaching for now sit firmly in the middle. I'm joined by Adam and Ryan Goldston, founders of APL and the first members of an athletic company ever inducted into the CFDA, for a conversation on how they ushered in the era of the fashion sneaker. From getting banned by the NBA for their first shoe to landing in Selfridges, Net-a-Porter, and Saks before anyone else was selling performance product in those rooms, Adam and Ryan share how a clear point of view — and a refusal to use logos — built one of the most distinctive sneaker brands in the world. We get into world-building beyond product, why they believe taste is their real superpower and the consumer shift toward quieter, design-led pieces. Shop APL https://www.athleticpropulsionlabs.com/ In this episode, we get into: What actually set the stage for the era of the fashion sneaker Why being inducted into the CFDA in 2016 was a turning point for the entire sneaker industry The decision to launch in Selfridges, Net-a-Porter, and Saks before anyone else was selling performance in luxury…

People in this episode

Host: Liv Perez

Guests: Adam Goldston, Ryan Goldston

Topics covered

• fashion sneakers
• sneaker industry
• design philosophy
• branding
• consumer trends

Keywords

• sneakers
• fashion
• performance
• branding
• design
• consumer behavior
• APL

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: APL, CFDA, Selfridges, Net-a-Porter, Saks

Places: The Grove

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