Prada Hits the Streets

Remember when everyone wanted to be like Mike? Nowadays, it seems that more and more men are trading in their Air Jordans for a pair of Prada sneakers. While Michael Jordan maintains his reputable shoe brand under stable sales, it's high-end designers that are catching the attention of today's young fashion connoisseurs, especially those in urban communities.

While posh designer names used to be the exclusive province of the jet set, urban men in their late teens and 20s are increasingly embracing upscale, non-sportswear brands—and the affluent image that comes with such brand affiliations. Parading a pair of Pradas may not vastly improve one's mobility on the court, but it does show that while the wearer's jeans might have slimmed down, his pockets got a little bit deeper.

—Vildana Kurtovic