LUXURY SNEAKERS!

Y-3 is a joint venture between Japanese designer Yohji Yamamoto and adidas – apparently the ‘Y’ stands for Yohji, the ‘3’ represents the signature adidas stripes and the hyphen signifies the link between the two! Formed back in the heady days of 2002, Y-3 has turned out to be a remarkably prescient collaboration.

A culture clash between sport and design, Y-3 quickly came to epitomize an elevated sense of tailoring and craftsmanship that was a glimpse into the future of sportswear. Whilst Yamamoto’s utilitarian inspiration is evident throughout each collection, Y-3 has an inherent technicality that always gave the shoes a slightly odd sense of proportion and function.   Originally only available in very select doors, Y-3’s distribution has recently branched out to include a flagship store in Tokyo, followed by Beijing, Manchester, Paris and Miami, with the New York store opening in 2008.

Interestingly, Yamamoto originally trained as a lawyer before switching to fashion in the late sixties. He has also collaborated with Hermés, Mikimoto and Mandarina Duck, and is also well known as a former ‘special friend’ of the Queen of Japanese design royalty, Rei Kawakubo, who started Commes Des Garcons in the early seventies.