“Sneaker pimps, fashion whores, and people who want something new, fresh, and design driven — independent from the corporate rat maze,” are the people hankering for JB Classics trainers, according to the designer Jason Bass. Bass, inspired by a Run-DMC concert in 1981 where he asked DMC to sign his Air Jordans, is creating one of the most visionary and rugged sneaker lines out there with heat-stamped prints of dragons, bears, paw imprints, and geometric patterns and typography in color combinations from turquoise and yellow to camouflage palettes. (Note that a pair of his Ricky Powell photo montage shoes are currently selling for $5000 on Japanese Ebay.) Based in San Francisco and sold at Gloria’s in East London’s Truman Brewery, Bass plans a rollout of his shoes at discriminating boutiques across Europe, Asia, and the US in exclusive batches. We suggest making contact quickly.

Another player in this elite category of trainers — that a very loyal consumer segment are snapping up — is design juggernaut (and sometime DJ) Karim Rashid, in partnership with Italian shoe manufacturer Fessura. Rashid’s sleek, aerodynamic, and modern designs seem to reference both Quadrophenia and the unknown future urban landscape, and they’re pushing the envelope with silver mirrored black suede booties, pointy toe anklets with flourescent overlays, and gold mirror with pink leather.

With old brands like Pirelli using their tire technology to create premium trainers, design partnerships including Onitsuka Tiger and French-American designers Surface 2 Air making limited edition trainers, and the advent of a slew of sneaker-dedicated blogs, books, and exhibitions, the cult of the sneaker freak shows no signs of slowing.

-Meghan Cleary

Photos: JB Classics
Karim Rachid for Ferrara