A small but trendy revolution is being launched in athletic footwear and fashion. Can you imagine designer basketball sneakers worn by NBA stars and women's apparel endorsed by a tennis phenom all priced under $20?

Steve & Barry's, a national retailer that sells officially licensed sportswear, has such lines in the Starbury brand, the Big Ben Collection and EleVen.

The Starburys are endorsed by New York Knicks point guard Stephon Marbury and debuted last year, selling over three-million pairs. The shoe is so popular in New York that customers are limited to buying ten pairs per day. At just $14.98 compared to LeBron James' shoe with Nike for $150, it's no wonder people may be tempted to be just a tad bit greedy.

The Big Bens are promoted by Chicago Bulls' center Ben Wallace under Marbury's label. They also sell for $14.98 and were released on Nov. 5th.

The exclusive EleVen line is marketed by four-time Wimbledon champion Venus Williams and hit Steve & Barry's outlets on Nov. 15th. What makes Williams' line extremely impressive is that she knows a great deal about fashion. She will be graduating from the Art Institute of Fort Lauderdale in December with a degree in design. Her line has 120 pieces, which includes her own sneaker, the V-Court, that she wore during the U.S. Open this year.

Phil Knight and Company at Nike do not have to be worried too much about the stars on Steve & Barry's team in terms of sales just yet. Nike controls approximately 81.8 percent of the $2.6 billion U.S. basketball sneaker market according to the Wall Street Journal.

The shoe titan isn't doing too badly in the women's sports market either, taking home 20 percent of women's footwear and apparel sales worldwide. Williams' younger sister Serena has her own fashion line with Nike and a fat endorsement deal worth close to $50 million. And of course Nike has the face of James, their $90 million investment who has way more star power and advertising pull than Marbury and Wallace combined.

Yet, representatives at Nike have taken some notice of the message Steve & Barry's is sending, that quality shoes and sports attire can be priced to fit the wallets of families on a working class budget. They have teamed with one of their newest endorsers, Seattle Super Sonics' rookie Kevin Durant, to market a shoe that is much more affordable.

Considering Nike's hefty advertising budget and Durant's $60 million deal that included a $10 million signing bonus, no estimates have been given for a reasonable price. However, since Durant is fully committed to this project, they may decide to do fewer commercials, which would definitely make his shoe much less than James' Zoom LeBrons.

While Durant is taking a step in a positive direction that could very well produce a major designer sneaker under $100, Steve & Barry's has already won the hearts of parents who cannot afford the footwear of the Nike athletes many of their kids idolize. In promoting their shoes, Marbury and Wallace have expressed that they have not forgotten their modest upbringings and how they were not able to buy the latest sports gear when they were kids.

The name of Williams' EleVen line pays homage to the address where she and Serena grew up in California. Williams probably gave designing a quality, low-priced sports line much more thought after not renewing her $7 million a year deal with Reebok.
 
EleVen is expected to do well in the women's sports apparel market, but Steve & Barry's will have to attract more big-name athletes before they make a huge dent in the billion-dollar sneaker industry. Their chances of landing a first round NBA lottery pick are slim to none, but there are probably a few more athletes in the NBA who will buy into Steve & Barry's marketing concepts.

Let's hope some more come forward since it is obvious that the soles of Starburys, Big Bens, and V-Courts are sewn with a vision not dominated by profit.