It’s a studded affair with Ato Matsumoto’s footwear and apparel line, ato, for Spring/Summer 2010. Since ato had been spotted on famed celeb feet such as Kanye West (whose own Nike Air Yeezy is redolent of the ato velcro hi-top sneakers), the designer’s penchant for high drama in shoes has garnered a loyal and loving following outside Japan. Among his work, the designer’s signature Velcro Hi-Cut Sneakers with a generous silhouette and futuristic styling encompassed in the use of thick Velcro straps. Like the other ato sneakers, these are crafted from supple cowhide and dressed in a lavish wash of tough studs in varying shapes on tongue, Vecro straps and toe. The tonal black sneakers sport the signature “a” patch on their sides and carry a more subtle sense of rock and roll than other highly glamorous studded sneaker counterparts from Diet Butcher Slim Skin. These kicks were first previewed on WWD and had raised a lot of interests within the industry.