The Quintessential White Sneaker

The appeal of a clean, crisp white sneaker need not be explained. As an essential piece of a man’s wardrobe, white sneakers can be dressed up or down, depending on the occasion. We’ll be going over which pair suits your specific needs and budget. As for style, there’s really no wrong way to wear them.

The beginning of this list will feature some of the most historically ubiquitous models of the silhouette. As a note of warning, generally, as the price goes up, so does the quality of the materials and the construction.

Who is Robert Haillet?

Originally called the “Robert Haillet”, this model is the brand with the three stripes’ best selling shoe of all time. The tennis shoe was renamed the “Stan Smith” in 1973, after the former American world No. 1. The adidas sneaker is available in a full-grain leather or adidas Primeknit, for a more flexible, breathable fit. With the choice of a rubber or Boost sole, the Stan Smith continues to be one of the most iconic and recognizable shoes on the market.

Charles Hollis Taylor

For those who enjoy a canvas upper: Converse Chuck Taylor’s and Jack Purcell’s. These two pairs, under the Converse brand, now owned by Nike, are classics that have been around for nearly a century. They feature the signature canvas upper and a rubber sole that’s stood the test of time.

The Original Skateboarding Shoes

Out of southern California comes one of the original skate shoes: Vans Old Skool. The canvas upper showcases the signature single side stripe. The shoe also features the brand’s Waffle Outsole, made up of a natural and synthetic gum rubber combination.

Bang for your Buck

Moving onto more expensive, yet not truly outrageously priced options, we come across Greats: The Royale’s, Beckett Simonon: Alba Low Top’s, Epaulet: Tennis Trainer Low’s, and Svensson: Classic Low’s. Each of these shoes showcase full-grain leather uppers; furthermore, they’re hand-made in different regions of Europe, including Portugal and Italy. Each pair is stitched to a Margom rubber sole, commonly associated with luxury materials in footwear, proving that you truly pay for what you get. Between these pairs, there are little differences in stitching, aesthetics, and overall silhouette. You can’t go wrong with any of these when looking to upgrade from classic Stan’s.

A pricier option for a canvas upper is the Shoes Like Pottery: 01JP Low, with the spotlight on their kiln vulcanized rubber sole. With a lightly ribbed midsole, a cyan outsole, and a wax stamp of the same color pressed onto the lateral side of each shoe, these are sure to stand out in a crowd of minimalist white sneakers.

Designer Luxe

At the highest end of the spectrum, we have designer brands, including Acne Studios: Adrian, Yves Saint Laurent: SL/01, Gucci: Ace Embroidered, Balenciaga: Low Sneaker. While each of these incorporates some high quality materials into their final product, they are ultimately the consequence of designer markup and status symbols. If you don’t mind spending a pretty penny, then by all means.

The Cult-Classic, Minimalist White Sneaker

The final sneaker presented has reached cult-fame among sneakerheads and designers alike: Common Projects Achilles Low. The child of Peter Poopat and Flavio Girolami, Common Projects was founded in 2004 as a result of the partners’ actual projects to create a minimalist, elevated model of their favorite shoes, the Stan Smith’s and Chuck Taylor’s. The story goes: Girolami challenged a factory based in Le Marche, Italy, who previously only created men’s formal dress shoes, to manufacture their shoes. The understated pair, denoted by ten gold numbers across the lateral side of the heel, have served as inspiration for many lookalikes and copycats, even some mentioned above. Originally priced around $200, a new pair now runs for $410, a repercussion of the hype now surrounding the company and the shoe.

The Consensus

If you're a college student on a budget or simply looking to dive into the deep abyss of white, minimalist sneakers, you can't go wrong with a classic pair of Stan's, Chuck's, or Vans. Choose your material (leather or canvas) and select your accent colors, whether it be the original green on the tongue and heel patch or the red and blue accents along the midsole of your Converse.

If you're looking to upgrade your white sneaker collection without breaking the bank, pick up a pair of Greats: The Royale or Beckett Simonon: Alba's. These aren't quite as expensive as the typical designer options, but offer the same high quality materials you'd expect in a shoe that's twice the price.

If money's no object and/or hype culture is a definitive part of your style, take your pick of the designer brands. Gucci's Ace Embroidered Sneakers add their signature "lush meadow" and "aurora red" accents to give your shoes a sprinkle of color. Acne Studios' Adrian Sneakers offer another clean take at the white sneaker; the Swedish luxury brand truly prides itself on minimalism. The safe choice of the more expensive options, however, would be to pick up a pair of Common Projects: Achilles Low. These shoes, although a product of hype in the past few years, is a tried and true classic for a reason. It is no easy feat to top the inspiration that started the movement altogether. If you don't mind shoes that have been worn before, a used pair can be found for around half the price with a bit of persistence and a hint of luck. Otherwise, buy them new and relish in the quality and attention to detail.

Words by Ryan Zeng

Garb BerkeleySeptember 6, 2017