Wherever you are right now, take a quick look around at people’s footwear. What brands are they wearing? Chances are, the results of your visual sneaker survey will look a little something like this: Adidas, Nike, Converse, New Balance, Nike, maybe a bit of Reebok if you’re lucky, Adidas, Nike, Nike.

No matter how classic the shoe or how exclusive the drop, it’s clear that just a few companies have a monopoly on the sneaker market. So what are you supposed to do if you don’t want to follow in the air-cushioned footsteps of everyone else?

Thankfully, there are plenty of under-the-radar footwear brands out there, each with their own unique spin on standard, run-of-the-mill sports shoes. They may not have the same industry clout as your Stripes and Swooshes but what they do have on their side is individuality.

ARKK Copenhagen

ARKK’s futuristic trainers may look like they came through a tear in the fabric of spacetime from the year 3000, but they’re actually just from Denmark. The brand has done the unthinkable in fusing that stripped-back Scandi aesthetic with a hearty dose of futuristic styling.

The resulting shoes defy convention and are impossible to lump into any one category. They’re lifestyle trainers with sports DNA and one eye firmly on innovation. If you’re looking for something striking, different and yet somehow tasteful, go Danish.

Good News

British sustainable sneaker brand Good News makes recycling cool with skate-inspired designs made from reused materials. It also keeps a keen eye on its ethical supply chain and donates deadstock to the homeless.

The brand’s offbeat signatures include chunky soles (made from recycled rubber tyres) and textured or patterned uppers.

Zespa

Say what you want about the French, there’s no denying they know their way around an atelier. Remarkably, this national flair for fashion extends south of the ankles, too. And the proof is in the pudding… if by “pudding” you mean the artisanally crafted footwear of Southern French sneaker brand Zespa.