Golden Goose, By Italian Dads, For Italian Dads

Like every other European kid, I used to play club soccer. After practice, I’d usually go over to my friend Giuseppe’s house for a snack. And every time, I was greeted in a violent Italian manner by his father. Besides the cannoli he pretended to make, I always noticed his sneakers and how many different colors of the same pair he had. Giuseppe’s dad wasn’t the only one with those sneakers, my sister’s friends all had a pair, and every woman with a Goyard bag had a pair. That sneaker is the Golden Goose. If the name sounds familiar, it might be for the wrong reason. The Italian brand caught some flack a couple of seasons back for glorifying the poverty aesthetic with a shoe covered in duct tape.

Controversy never stopped anyone from buying a brand; I’m looking at you, Vlone fans. The brand has been consistent for 20 years now. Although some of their clothing might be labeled as Eurotrash, the sneakers don’t hold the same stigma. The Italian sneakers led the way for the brand’s surge in popularity throughout the years and there’s many reasons as to why that is. The brand was founded in 2000 by the married Venetian Couple Alessandro Galo and Francesca Rinaldo. As cliché as this sounds, the Italian lace-up sneaker was ahead of its time. In a time where there were little to no crossovers between high-fashion and streetwear, Golden Goose was used as a bridge to connect both styles. Coupling the cool skate sneaker aesthetic with the Venetian craftsmanship - mamma mia they were setting themselves up for success!

These bad boys have their own signature look - they come pre-scuffed. The beat up shoes range from $400 all the way up to $520. Why so expensive? Combine the Italian production quality with the handmade distressing, it makes each and every pair (more or less) unique. This obviously creates a split between the people who like the sneakers and those that don’t, creating a similar situation to today’s reception of the ugly sneaker trend. In this regard, Golden Goose can be looked at as the pioneers of an ever growing trend (part of the reason as to why they became so successful). People did not mind paying for a shoe at that price point at a time where they could be differentiated from the traditional designer sneakers. Back in Switzerland, I can’t recall a designer sneaker which wasn’t from a gaudy European brand and made the impact GGDB did. The footwear lines of brands like Prada and Gucci were not yet developed, being worn mainly by soccer players with money and eastern European men. But, all of this also happened during the Obey/snapback era so pick your poison: Jordan IV Thunder, red Vans or Golden Goose Superstars.

Nowadays, walking around the NYU campus, I’m reminded of Guiseppe’s dad constantly. For international students, golden goose is the equivalent to an American’s beat up white air force one. When speaking to loyal fans about their liking for the Italian sneaker, the brand’s consistency seems to be highlighted quite often. The quality is top notch, they’re comfortable (my sources say they can be used for the gym?!), come in different models and offer plain as well as crazy colorways. The dirty look of the shoe also plays a vital role in the purchasing decision. As ridiculous as it sounds, GGDB wearers don’t feel the need to take care of the shoe and can simply wear it without the need to check for scuffing or dirt. Golden Goose rose to fame with its American-Italian counterpart Common Projects. Although the brands have status symbols, owners of both would tell you that, Golden Goose’s attempt to shift the way wealth is displayed is preferred over Common Project’s plain white luxury sneaker.

Regardless, Golden Goose does a good job of creating everyday colorways, while also playing with fabric and funky colorways to produce sneakers for people with poor taste in fashion. I believe the brand’s success can be attributed to the easygoing yet luxurious air that it gives off, attracting millennials to boomers.

I picked up a pair black & white superstars a year ago and my experience with them has been decent. Are they a cool everyday shoe that you can flex(?) Yes, but are people saying they're comfortable to justify the price they paid? Probably. For now, I’m gonna stick with my beat-up Common Projects, but I definitely do see myself picking up a couple of pairs in the future.

PS: In case you needed another reason to grab a pair

Picture 1: Courtesy of FootwearNews

Picture 3: Courtesy of UpscaleHype