Why We Like Them: A clean pair of Chucks is about as classic as it gets, but the ’70s version spotlighted here adds a little welcome retro flavor.
How to Style Them: With a slouchy suit and a threadbare vintage tee, or a full-on Canadian Tuxedo.
The Best Under-the-Radar White Sneaker
Material: Leather Fit: True to Size Size: 3.5-15
If Pete Doherty’s lyrics and every issue of NME from the ‘90s are to be believed, the Reebok Club C is the most-worn sneaker—sorry, trainer—by wayward youths in the British Isles. It’s also the very same sneaker that Harry Styles himself turns to to up the ante on a clean look. What makes the Club C such an ideal all-purpose shoe? It’s nondescript enough to work with everything in your wardrobe, but still distinctive enough (that tiny Union Jack on the logo!) to not look totally bland. If you’re keen to switch up your regular rotation of Chucks and Stan Smiths—or you’re a really big Pulp fan—the Club C is the way to go.
Why We Like Them: They helped one GQ writer kicks his kicks kick—and they’ll do the same for you.
How to Style Them: One word: jorts.
The Best White Sneakers for Racing Through the Mountains
Material: Mesh and rubber Fit: True to Size Size: 7.5-13.5
When the legendary French outdoors outfitter Salomon wanted to get more people interested in their hyper-functional sneakers, they scoured their archives for silhouettes that could serve as canvasses for wild colorways: electric limes, fire truck reds, fresh ocean blues. As it happens, though, Salomon’s shoes look plenty sharp with no color at all. The nylon mesh, sleek panels, and quick-lace system work even better together iced out in glacial whites, and the grippy lug soles seem somehow fiercer. Like all Salomon kicks, the XT-6 has all the tools to conquer craggy mountainsides, but it’ll perform just as well on the city streets with your biggest brunch fits.
Why We Like Them: Sleek, stylish, and rooted in practical design, our 2019 Sneaker of the Year still scores top marks in form and function, a rare double-whammy that makes it difficult to beat.
How to Style Them: With tech-y cargos or crinkly nylon shorts. When in doubt, anchoring an all-black fit with white sneakers never fails.
The Best New School, Fascist-Fighting White Sneakers
Material: Leather Fit: True to Size Size: 7-14
A lot of upstart brands try their hands at making retro vulcanized sneakers, but few have as rich a backstory or as distinct a point of view as Stepney Workers Club. Founded in London in 2018, S.W.C. borrows its name from a 1920s anti-fascist sports group, and its signature model—the Dellow—is based directly on an old canvas sneaker the brand’s designers once came across. They updated the simple design and beautiful construction, added their own winsome handshake logo, and then decked the shoe out in a wide range of colors and materials. These days you can find the Dellow in smooth suedes and hardy canvases, but for our money the best version is this white leather version. It’s less than $90 for a sneaker with decades of history and smart design under its belt. That’s how you craft an instant classic, kids.
Why We Like Them: The pristine canvas upper is a star in its own right, but the thick rubber outsole is the real scene-stealer; beat it into the ground and it’ll only look better for the wear.
How to Style Them: With sturdy work pants or crisp trousers, just like in the old days.
