On the American designer's birthday, L'OFFICIEL looks at Owens' ongoing impact in the realm of high fashion shoes.

<a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/fashion-week/rick-owens-spring-summer-2020-paris-fashion-week">Rick Owens</a>&#39; deconstructed design aesthetic begs for virality, even if it&#39;s the designer&#39;s last intention. From his namesake label&#39;s start in Los Angeles to leaving a mark from its Paris base today, Owens never fails to provide fresh ideas on the runway, with&nbsp;highly-anticipated spectacles&nbsp;each&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hermes-balenciaga-loewe-spring-2021-trend-paris-fashion-week">fashion week</a>. Known for memorably accessorizing models with other models and casting step dancers in a move that departed from the&nbsp;waif-thin models that usually&nbsp;dominate shows, the designer&#39;s creative vision knows no bounds. And amidst these bold moves, a more subtle impact was at play&ndash;accompanying&nbsp;Owens&#39;&nbsp;dark fantasy fashions is a legacy of footwear.

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If his futuristically <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marc-jacobs-brings-back-his-infamous-grunge-collection">grungy</a> clothing present the unexpected with their unique sillhouettes, then his shoes break the same barriers. Since his brand&#39;s New York Fashion Week debut in 2002, Owens has been at the forefront of anti-fashion, underscored by footwear that varies from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/white-sneakers-for-women-fashion">minimalist sneakers</a> to <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/rick-owens">ultra-chunky sandals</a> that beat <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/yeezy">Yeezy</a> in the fashion cycle by several seasons. Perhaps most prominent among his footwear contributions are boots. Owens made the ever-popular <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fall-boot-trend-guide-2020-designer-runway">over-the-knee-boot</a> cool long before fashion girls started sporting the style. Influenced by his post-apocalyptic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/stevie-nicks-fashion-fleetwood-mac">rock &#39;n&#39; roll</a>&nbsp;style, Owens&#39; signature sky-high platform <a href="https://www.luisaviaroma.com/en-us/p/rick-owens/women/72I-L2E003?ColorId=OTkwOA2&amp;lvrid=_p_d250_gw&amp;SizeTypeId=05&amp;SizeId=3&amp;from=gshop&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI39qIhK2K7QIVeh6tBh3mBAicEAQYAiABEgIoiPD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;aka_re=1">Kiss boot</a>&mdash;with variations including chunky, lucite heels and grills&mdash;are unique not only in their design but their gender-breaking intentions, seen on the likes of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop%20culture/gigi-hadid-fashion-month-film-photos-2019">Luka Sabbat</a> and fashion duo <a href="https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/fecal-matter-instagram-duo-to-follow">Fecal Matter</a>.

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While many of Owens&#39; in-house styles cater towards more experimental fashion enthusiasts, his collaborations have gathered a&nbsp;different but equally enthusiastic fan base. Fostering a four-year partnership with <a href="https://www.lofficielarabia.com/fashion/adidas-originals-and-pharrell-williams-launch-collaborative-superstar">Adidas</a>, Owens&#39; became a&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;among sneakerheads with drops that gathered&nbsp;elements from his more athletic <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/rick-owens-sneakers-dunk-og-black">high-tops</a> and rubber sole sock boots,&nbsp;bringing&nbsp;elements of high fashion into the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/l-officiel-project-las-vegas">streetwear</a> community.&nbsp;

<img alt="Rick Owens Geobasket Dunks" src="https://image.goat.com/1000/attachments/product_template_pictures/images/007/857/907/original/rickog.png" style="float:right; height:250px; margin:5px; width:250px" />The designer has also been known to play on iconic sneaker styles, coopting recognizabe elements for his own footwear. With resale value hitting a few thousand dollars, the <a href="https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/rick-owens-nike-beef">Rick Owens Geobaskets (also known as Dunks)</a>&nbsp;are among the designer&#39;s most notable upgraded dupes. First debuted in his <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2006-menswear/rick-owens">Fall/Winter 2006</a> collection, the black and white leather hightops bear a resemblance to Nike&#39;s Airforce 1s, complete with a swoosh-like check on the side. The reference was obvious enough for Nike to allegedly send a cease-and-desist to Owens, who subsequently redesigned the Geobaskets to have a triangle marking instead. Owens also introduced the Ramones,&nbsp;a toe-capped leather hightop that are inspired by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/kamala-harris-converse-vice-president-election-twitter">Converse&#39;s Chuck Taylors</a>. Playing on already ubiquitous footwear, Owens inverted the usual high fashion knockoffs and instead elevated everyday styles through his designer shoes.&nbsp;

Other labels have given Owens the creative liberty to remix their signature footwear. Now in the third year of a fruitful collaboration with <a href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/rick-owens-extends-birkenstock-collaboration-1234579986/">Birkenstock</a>, the designer will launch his own take on the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rick-owens-designed-a-pair-of-hairy-birkenstocks">shoe brand&#39;s</a> Arizona and Boston sandals in spring 2021. Owens also has a three-year partnership with sneaker label Veja, recently launching a joint capsule of sneaker-sock styles.&nbsp;The designer was drawn to the collaboration because of Veja&#39;s commitment to sustainability.&nbsp;The&nbsp;collaboration with the French footwear brand was a slow, intentional process, melding elements of his design choices with the brand&#39;s organic, recycled materials.

Throughout his decades at the forefront of fashion, Owens has developed a distinct style which he seamlessly translates to footwear. Whether with commercially successful collaborations or avant garde creations that challenge traditional notions of fashion, he&#39;s made shoes a part of his signature one step at a time.

How Rick Owens Changed Footwear

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