Golden Goose, Artisanal Craftsmanship and Perfect Imperfection
How the Venetian brand set the template for luxury sneakers years before anyone else.
Luxury sneakers at the beginning of the 21st century looked a lot different than they do today. There was no Balenciaga Triple S. Givenchy’s innovative TK-360 was entirely outside the realm of possibility. Nike and Off-White’s groundbreaking 'The Ten' collection was still over 15 years away. Thus, it took considerable foresight as well as tenacity for anyone to dream up a sneaker brand focused strictly on luxury in the year 2000. Enter Golden Goose.
Best known for its intentionally distressed and worn sneakers, Golden Goose was founded by husband-and-wife duo Alessandro Gallo and Francesca Rinaldo in Venice, Italy at the dawn of the new millennium. Born out of the couple’s love for vintage clothing and the role memory plays throughout life, they set out to produce luxury sneakers from premium materials that are then purposefully distressed, by hand, to create their signature worn-in look.
Like many fledgling family businesses, Golden Goose first gained a following in its hometown, earning a reputation for the expert craftsmanship seen on each pair. Rips, scratches and marks made by local artisans defined the brand’s earliest designs, while “perfect imperfection” helped describe Golden Goose’s unorthodox approach to those unfamiliar with the brand. The founders were so committed to this idea, in fact, that different distress patterns could be found on the left and right shoe, resulting in a pair of shoes that looked—and were—utterly unique.
Gallo and Rinaldo continued to hone the brand’s distinctive point of view as Y2K aesthetics emerged in real time. Low-rise jeans picked up where oversized denim left off. Statement accessories replaced the understated handbags and sunglasses of the ’90s. Metallic accents and pops of neon outshined the faded colors of the grunge era. Golden Goose listened, experimented and reacted appropriately, debuting the Super-Star in 2007.