Italian sneaker and fashion brand Golden Goose is on a tear right now. Founded in 2000, it specialized first in artfully destroyed sneakers. But in the wake of exponential growth over the past three years, it has increasingly cornered the market in mashup events that blend pro skaters and fashion with music and art. Its rolling Haus of Dreamers project started out in May in its hometown of Venice with artists Dr. Woo, Suki Waterhouse, and Fabio Novembre.
More recently, Haus of Dreamers fetched up in Paris for the first time at the end of fashion week. U.S. Olympic skateboarders Cory Juneau and Keegan Palmer joined pro friends and a gang of local skaters in a floodlit, purpose-built half-pipe in the City’s Jardin des Plantes while the Paris Fashion Week crowd and a slew of celebrities like Liam Payne, Evan Mock, Paul Wesley, Quannah Chasinghorse, SUNMI, and Issa Rae looked on. A fashion show followed to highlight the brand’s growing line of men’s and women’s clothing for spring/suummer ‘24. Cory Juneau unveiled a new pro skate sneaker, the Paris Ball Star Pro, with a glittering sole—a tongue in cheek nod to the city of lights.
The Paris Ball Star Pro.
And if you don’t get your kicks on four wheels and a slab of wood? An ever-expanding roster of brick-and-mortar stores (180 worldwide, at the last count) allows punters to customize sneakers extensively before they purchase. And no one has to know you’re more likely to wear them to the bodega than a bowl.
Nick Sullivan is Creative Director at Equire, where he served as Fashion Director from 2004 until 2019. Prior to that, he relocated from London with his young family to Boerum Hill, Brooklyn. He has styled and art directed countless fashion and cover stories for both Esquire and Big Black Book (which he helped found in 2006) in exotic,uncomfortable, and occasionally unfeasibly cold locations. He also writes extensively about men’s style, accessories, and watches. He describes his style as elegantly disheveled.
