What makes the shoes different? Josh: “The idea came from us wearing so many pairs of shoes a day: one to go to the gym, one for work, a shoe for basketball, another for going out. We thought, why can’t we take elements from these different categories and put them into one?”

Can you describe the shoe? Josh: “It’s a combination of a running and training shoe, so it’s slightly higher in the heel, with sidewalls that give you stability and a durable outsole. The midfoot lacing design really holds you and is something [that looks] a little different.”

What are the advantages of co-founding a brand as brothers? James: “I’ve known Josh all my life so there’s implicit trust. We’re not scared of disagreeing with each other. We bring different experiences to the table; people have joked that I’m lifestyle and he’s performance. Lane Eight wouldn’t exist without Josh’s engineering, design background and experience in bringing shoes to life. I worked in editorial and marketing so I had a sense of what the market was looking for.”

Tell us about you range of colours. James: “We always wanted to use colour in a way that looks good without being garish and fits with customers’ wardrobes. White and black are the most popular colours, which we expected. But when we hold pop-ups, the more colourful shoes, like pink and tan, are more popular. People need to have context – to see other people wearing them and see how you’d style it.”

Josh: “The pink style made people think [the brand] was going to be more feminine, but we were always adamant about everything we release being for everyone.”

James: “There’s no reason shoes should be different for men and women – the classic phrase in the industry is ‘shrink it and pink it’, which is a total disservice to women.”

What’s the story behind the name? James: “On an athletics track, the eighth lane in a race can be the hardest lane as it’s on the outside. But you’re still in the race – even in lane eight you have a chance of winning. That speaks to our mentality of being newcomers to the footwear race, but we still think we have a shot at winning.”

ncG1vNJzZmivp6x7tK%2FMqWWcp51kuqKzwLOgp52jZL2wv9NmpJqfka%2B2r7GOn5isoJmku3Ct0a2gnKSVZIBxfJhtbmlnmKS7qHnKqKWgZaSnrqq6xKtkm6qRo7FuuMCnnGadmZy1tXnFqKynnJWnwG7Dx5qr