Starbury

NBA All-Star point guard Stephon Marbury started his shoe and clothing company in 2006 called Starbury, Inc. The concept was to produce quality footwear and sportswear for far less than those manufactured by competitors such as Nike, Reebok, and Adidas.

1. Founded: 2006
2. Location: Brooklyn, New York
3. Founder: Stephon Marbury
4. Exclusively sold at Steve and Barry's stores and on official website
5. Starbury is a long-held nickname of Marbury's from his All-American high school playing days on Coney Island

While attending Georgia Tech, Marbury was inspired by a college professor to someday produce an affordable line of sneakers and sportswear that would combat the ever increasing pricing of top-line competitors. Marbury surmised that the other big manufacturers were marking up their prices due to marketing costs and endorsement deals. His idea was to produce quality products at prices that poor and middle-class consumers could afford. In 2006 while playing for the New York Knicks, Marbury began selling his Starbury Sneakers exclusively at Steve and Barry's, and he wore them during every Knicks game that season to show their durability. In 2007, the second edition of sneakers, endorsed by Ben Wallace of the Cleveland Cavaliers, were introduced. Consumer Reports concluded that the sneakers were a fine casual everyday shoe.

• Steve & Barry's: Store locator