#KnownUnknownSeries | RADII Footwear by Casey Arisohn

It's pronounced (ray-dee-eye).

For the longest I personally wanted to know the right way to say this name of this brand. Despite not knowing exactly, that didn't take away the intrigue of this sneaker company. Built in California in 2008, Huntington Beach to be exact, RADII Footwear has become quite the staple in streetwear alternatives for sneaker enthusiasts who have a love for the different side of the spectrum. But, not without some roadblocks.

I have to be honest, at first sighting these looked like they were attempted secondary versions of a then, more popular sneaker from another skater-based streetwear brand. However, with more research and in getting the backstory, I found out that this is a brand that knows exactly what to do & how to do it. And it doesn't hurt to mention that they are right at the top of the shoe chain alongside fellow brands like Creative Recreation, Alife, Reebok & even Three Stripes. But trust, if you were to look for yourself...RADII sees no competition.

Founded by Casey Arisohn, who pretty much built the brand in a year, RADII has become a mainstay in the footwear industry in its own right. They pretty much went from a no-name brand considered knock-offs, to having one of the biggest names in Hip-Hop sporting their shoes.

That's right: RADII has been seen on the feet of mogul Jay-Z.

But, let's back track a bit....RADII originally was birthed out of a activewear gear shop, in which Casey grew up with the owner's children, thus learning the business first hand. Casey himself is inspired by brands like Dior, Android Homme & Common Projects, all of which you can see in variations of designs in the RADII brand. As he puts it, his brand is for:

"9-5 for athletes, entertainers and young entrepreneurs. We're striving to take over the shoe market, so, for the future, there will be more clean, mature styles that will cater to the true 9-5 person."

And in these days & times, it's a great plus to cater any brand to the average person, considering how many things are held at certain standards and have an affluence about them. RADII does indeed look like it can only be bought by a few, but with paying attention to the consumer, they're able to deliver amazing styles at more than affordable costs.

And how about the styles they have: The Strangler? Straight Jackets? Axel? THRILLERS?!?! (Yes, there is a shoe called the Thriller, which Casey purposely named in honor of Michael Jackson). Just take a gander at the various styles.

I mean, who else has sneakers like this? Where other brands consider additions like straps, zippers & premium materials to be exclusive, RADII considers it to be the standard, incorporating these into most of their models on a daily basis. They are known however to have limited runs, and usually sell out of styles quickly. A testament to that is the attention the brand gives its customers, which in turn keeps their price points around $80 - $120 for a pair of shoes. And it's an added plus that RADII has sizing in most of their models up to size US 15!!!

From NFL, NBA players to Shawn Carter himself, RADII has staked their claim in the sneaker industry as a true force. Not just a here-today-gone-tomorrow brand, they truly are in a league of their own, and that can been seen for yourself.