Meet Warby Parker & Everlane of sneakers: Greats (brand)

The success of Everlane and Warby Parker as online-first brands is proving to be infectious. So much so, even the traditional retail entrepreneurs are going online and launching Internet-first brands. The latest to join the bandwagon are Jon Buscemi and Ryan Babenzien who have launched Greats brand.

Greats is essentially affordably priced shoes — much like Everlane clothes and Warby Parker glasses. They weave in the “designed in USA” into their story, just to get some of the marketing buzz. (Shoes are made in Mexico instead of China.) In the past these two were “inspired” by Jordans and created a line of shoes and got heat for it.

The modus operandi this time too is the same — offer people something they can visually recognize at an affordable price. Sneakers cost between $59 and $99 and are “inspired” by the Converse styled canvas sneakers. You can also see a hint of Common Projects styling as well. They offer two models – Wilson and Royale. If you are a sneaker person, then you should try these out and let me know how they really feel.