Gienchi Studded Sneakers

I've known about Louboutin's studded men's shoes for a while now.  The punk incarnations of their Rollerboy, Freddy and other silhouettes have become extremely popular despite their high price point (over $1000 a pair).  But just today I stumbled onto an alternative.  Italian brand Gienchi has been producing vintage and DIY looking (emphasis on looking) studded sneakers for the past few seasons and though not as 'high fashion' as the Louboutin studdeds, they are much friendlier on the wallet.

The Gienchi studded sneakers all come 'pre-worn.'  Just like buying a pair of distressed denim, the shoes are new but look used.  The style mimics the forever classic Converse All Star Chuck Taylor but with a different sole and stitching pattern and come in various stud varieties and patterns from spikes to screws to rivets.  The super cool kicks start at about $300 and reach about $600 for the pair below which is covered in spikes.  Truthfully, you could probably craft a pair for yourself at a cost of about $65 but who has time for that these days.