How Rick Owens Became the Tinker Hatfield of Exaggerated Sneakers

Inside the mind of sneaker's resident agent provocateur.

“I was never a sneaker person, and it’s ironic that’s how I ended up,” Rick Owens admits in a recent interview with WWD.

Sure, the California-born designer is known for much more than his exaggerated takes on footwear, but there’s no doubt his visual codes look intimidatingly awesome on sneakers as much as his boots. Owens’ footwear models are certainly …