BALR. Sneakers
The Dutch luxury lifestyle brand BALR. was founded in 2013 by footballer Demy de Zeeuw, Juul Manders and Ralph de Gues. The idea to start the brand came during one of De Zeeuw's long car journeys during his time as a player at Spartak Moscow. It was a way for him to combine one of his hobbies, fashion, with another: business.
The brand quickly gained traction due to numerous professional football players wearing the label, and the first store opened in Amsterdam in 2016.
BALR. is the embodiment of a modern lifestyle brand, and BALR. sneakers offer a sleek and clean looking design that strives to bridge the gap of the luxurious lifestyle of athletes with its young and ambitious audience.
BALR. sneakers are lightweight shoes that are designed for maximum comfort, with a custom memory foam sole. Some of the more popular models include the EE Premium Sock Sneaker, which have a sock-like upper, the BALR. clean sneaker, which features a sleek design made from premium leather, and the minimalistic Fast Break sneakers, which come with extra laces.
BALR. have also had a few high-profile collaborations on their sneakers. Teaming up with Mason Garments, the BALR. x Mason Garments Torino was a truly luxurious model and sold out almost immediately. PUMA also collaborated with BALR. on an exclusive collection with roots in football, releasing both a football boot and a premium sneaker. Later on the brands also gave the Future Rider a makeover.
Generally, BALR. sneakers fit true to size.