LONDON — Global exposure from K-pop stars and a thriving local shoemaking industry since the 1970s in Seongsu, dubbed the Brooklyn of Seoul, have paved the way for the three-year-old footwear brand No Idea to quickly establish itself as a popular choice among some of the most selective fashion retailers in the world: Ssense, Printemps and now Dover Street Market in London and Paris.
The brand offers shoes as fashion statements with a light touch of whimsy, with prices ranging from $400 for squared-toe cork derbies to $490 for football-ballet hybrid flats, and $520 for double-zip boots in embossed croc.
The brand’s founder, Youngdo Yun, said he was just an ordinary office worker who loved fashion before he launched the brand. He studied industrial design and worked at a local e-commerce platform, where he sourced and planned products like kitchenware and furniture.
A style from No Idea fall 2025.
Courtesy of No Idea
He made his leap into fashion by joining Addicted, a multibrand store in Seoul, where Y/Project, one of his favorite labels back then, was stocked, with a dream of opening his own concept store one day.
The first step toward that goal was the opening of a 140-square-foot secondhand store in a traditional market alley. According to Yun, the store quickly gained recognition among industry insiders for curating rare collection pieces and showpieces.
“Seeing my taste and aesthetic being appreciated gave me a unique kind of thrill. That validation slowly sparked the idea of creating something myself. I began to wonder, clothing has such a wide range of silhouettes and designs, so why are shoes mostly so ordinary? If shoes are meant to be ‘normal,’ what happens if I try to design the silhouette itself?” he said.
“I jumped in with no prior knowledge, driven simply by the thought, ‘I want shoes that feel like objects, like individual works of art.’ And that’s how it all began,” added Yun.
A style from No Idea fall 2025.
Courtesy of No Idea
The concept of No Idea has become both the direction and motto of his life.
“It means so much more to me than I can fully explain. I used to be someone who overthought everything, constantly worrying and going in circles. Later, I realized it all stemmed from a desire for perfection. But since starting and running No Idea, a lot has changed personally. I don’t overthink anymore. I just do things,” said Yun.
The brand’s success in South Korea, according to Yun, came from strong products. “We don’t really do active marketing. I’ve always believed in the strength of the shoes themselves,” he added.
Within the past few years, his shoes have been worn by some of the biggest names in today’s K-pop landscape, members from BTS, TXT, NCT and others.
“I’m especially grateful to Yeonjun of TXT. Not only does he always style the pieces well, but he also expresses genuine affection for the brand, which means a lot to me. We’ve communicated through his stylist from time to time as well,” he said.
A style from No Idea fall 2025.
Courtesy of No Idea
Lucian Freud had a profound influence on Yun’s artistic display of his footwear pieces. The designer would place a Freud painting inside the frame and add a plaster sculpture based on the lower body of his own.
“He once said: ‘I paint people not because of what they’re doing, but because of who they are.’ Similarly, I wanted people to look at the essence — our identity — and see the shoes as objects in their own right. The shoes were displayed together with the painting, accompanied by the sculpture. This setup was meant to express the boundary between reality and fantasy,” said Yun.
“From that point on, it was entirely up to the audience’s interpretation. Even now, I still remember what one viewer said after the exhibition: ‘I didn’t know shoes weren’t just for wearing.’ It was truly a joyful experience,” he added.
Interest from Dover Street Market came after the brand started doing global sales in Paris last year. Europe is the brand’s biggest so far, and many people in Asia also discovered the brand after seeing its presence in Europe
“For designers, Dover Street Market is a dream. I truly believe this is an opportunity to introduce our brand not only across Asia but to the entire global fashion industry,” he said.
