Load ‘N Launch sounds exactly like what it is. So effective was Athletic Propulsion Labs’s leap-enhancing technology that the NBA banned the upstart sneakers brand for giving players an “undue competitive advantage.” With its alchemic blend of high-tech and high fashion, Athletic Propulsion Labs sneakers combine beautiful form with dynamic function, to bring its shoes to great heights.

Having hoped for endorsement from the NBA, Athletic Propulsion Labs founders Adam and Ryan Goldston instead saw their ground-breaking sneakers excluded for providing an unfair advantage – thanks largely to their patented Load ‘N Launch technology featured in their first sneakers, Concept 1. But according to the twins, this twist of fate was the best thing to happen to their young footwear brand – the hype it generated kick-started a process that took their high-performance gear from the minor leagues right to the apex of fashion footwear. “We saw a meteoric rise in the company profile and sales because of the NBA ban,” they tell us by email.

But state-of-the-art function is just one part of Athletic Propulsion Labs’s story. While the shoes’ initial rise was fuelled by technology, it was their design finesse and style that propelled them to new fashion heights. Adorned with sleek lines and meticulous detail, the sneakers are effortlessly durable and light, as if they could float above the ground. “We like to think that we blur the line between performance and fashion,” say the Goldston brothers. “We outline what we’d like to achieve functionally with the product and then we design the shoes to be as beautiful as possible.”

The TechLoom Pro line is the embodiment of this meld of form and function. With interwoven threads of real silver and gold, the trainers’ knit detail makes them incredibly light, while exuding a soft, luxurious sheen. Concept 1 is another highlight in the company’s celebration of style and technology. Its design – elegant and undulating, like a fine sculpture – was directly inspired by high-end performance cars. But it was also the shoe that received that fateful ban.

The sneakers gene runs right through the Goldston clan. The twins’ father, Mark Goldston, oversaw the creation of the Reebok Pump and L.A. Gear Lights during the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. During the brothers’ undergrad years at USC, a love of football and basketball led them to develop their own innovative footwear technology from their dorm rooms. They wore their creations while playing basketball and, before long, their friends were admiring more than their ball skills.

Since launching in 2009, Athletic Propulsion Labs has rapidly expanded its range, which now includes active wear and a women’s line, all featuring lightweight fabrics and streamlined silhouettes. The same polished yet functional qualities of the sneakers can be found in the apparel. “One mantra that holds true, whether we are designing footwear or apparel is that we let the design, materials, colours and technology tell the story – not big emblazoned logos,” the twins tell us. “The end goal is always the same.”