Our Brand Story

STANDSO: The Sole of the Streets

In the heart of a gritty city where asphalt meets ambition and every corner breathes street culture, a new name began echoing through alleyways, skateparks, and urban runways — STANDSO.

It didn’t start in a boardroom or a luxury studio. It began in a garage, with a young designer named Max Kim, a first-generation Korean-American who grew up skating through the cracked sidewalks of Los Angeles. Max wasn’t trying to start a brand. He just wanted a shoe that could take a beating — ollies, kickflips, all-nighters, rain, grime, concrete. Nothing he bought could keep up. So he made his own.

Max stitched together his first pair with mismatched leathers, old fabrics, and a sole repurposed from an old military boot. But what stood out wasn’t the rough edges — it was the balance: bold design with brutal durability. People started asking, “Yo, where’d you get those?” He smiled and answered, “I stand so strong in them, maybe I’ll call them... STANDSO.”

The name stuck.

STANDSO officially launched in 2019 with a mission: "Made for movement. Built to last. Designed to stand out." Every shoe was created not just to be worn but lived in — from the streets to the stage, from concrete jungles to desert dust. STANDSO was never about trends. It was about culture. Skateboarders, street artists, DJs, barbers, fashion rebels — they all found a piece of themselves in the STANDSO sole.

The signature sneaker, “Downtown,” took off. With its ripple-textured sole for grip, shock-absorbing foam core, and a minimalist yet aggressive silhouette, it became a favorite not just in L.A., but in Seoul, Berlin, and Tokyo.

But STANDSO didn’t stop there.

Max kept collaborating — with graffiti artists on limited edition drops, with breakdancers for functional tweaks, with e-bike riders for reinforced grip zones. He created STANDSO City Projects, donating shoes and funding art spaces in underserved neighborhoods. The brand's heartbeat was always the community.

By 2025, STANDSO had become more than footwear — it was a movement, a stand against throwaway fashion, against generic design, against silence. Each pair told a story, not of luxury, but of hustle.

Max still signs every first prototype with a simple note: “Keep standing.”

Because STANDSO isn’t just about shoes.

It’s about where you stand — and how hard you fight to stay there.