Looking to switch out the boring smart shoes for something sporty yet mature? Look no further than the best mens dress sneakers below.
Sneakers have never been as big as they are now. Taking in shapes of all kinds, they seem to dip their tastes on just about everyone’s plate.
But they have an uneasy relationship for a particular group: suited professionals who need to look more serious than ridiculous when trying to be hip. Yet sneaker designers wouldn’t take such a loss lying down.
The dawn of dressy sneakers boosted the world with ridiculous high-quality sneakers, often sporting minimal designs or baroque stylings for a luxury yet vintage feel.
Mens Dress Sneakers
Greats Royale Sneaker
The Royale is the ultimate sneaker, providing minimal looks and branding and offering the perfect place to begin building your outfits. Plus, it’s packing some serious ethics.
Each shoe is made biodegradable and made in factories using the highest rated practices. That means your sneakers won’t stain mother Earth forever, and the workers who made them are paid well.
Enjoy the limited edition colorways while they’re hot.
New Republic Kurt
The Kurt is as minimal as it gets, but that’s what makes it one of the best companions to some tailored slacks that go just above the ankle. No branding needed.
You’ll get a finely crafted leather shoe that will last a long while and keep you in comfort. However, you are severely limited in color options.
Common Projects Achilles
The Common Projects Achilles has a lot of pedigree backing it. Made with supple Italian leather, this shoe was crafted by master shoemakers, including a gold stamp of the serial number of the shoe.
You might be limited to four colorways, but each is supposed to intrude very little in your outfit-making process. Think of them as an anchor instead of a star, something to keep you balanced.
Oliver Cabell Low 1
If you need something for the more preppy, social drinking parties during the middle of the day outfits, the Cabell low is your best bet for a fantastic outfit. Only in white.
Be sure to look into the Oliver Cabell pride and joy: price and material breakdown. They’re serious about you getting the best bang for your buck while also paying all their workers the best that they can.
The Low, in particular, is crafted with materials from and assembled in Marche, Italy.
To Boot Castle Cognac
While most dress sneaker offerings focus on white colorways, the Castle Cognac instead opts for a richer brown that reminds you of a great whiskey. It also looks fantastic with a suit.
It is more mature than many other dress sneakers and looks like it would be welcomed by those from the city and country boys. So it has a bit of appeal for everyone.
Cole Haan GrandPro Low
The GrandPro Low is the tennis take on the dress show. Less sneaker and more athletic footwear, the GrandPro has a lot of style in a low-profile package.
They’re clean with no branding and support a puffy pair of soles that give excellent bounce to your step. It also has air holes in the front of the shoe to prevent smelly feet.
Enjoy the crazy amount of colors and styles.
Wolf & Shepherd Swiftkit Derby
The Swiftknit Derby is a dramatically different style choice than other sneakers on the list. It looks more akin to a runner and uses 100% recycled uppers.
But it also seems to weirdly fit in with suits and sports a great navy and champagne colorway. It has some of the attitude of a smart shoe, some of a runner, and yet crafts its own personality.
It comes in a decent amount of colors with some limited edition offerings as well!
Adidas Stan Smith
The OG minimal sneaker that lifted Adidas to greatness, the Stan Smith, never disappoints and never lets up. The low profile and clean designs make the Stan Smith a staple in clear outfit options and tennis courts alike.
They offer a ton of color options and are constantly dropping limited-time collabs. The new Muppets collab, in particular, is a pretty hot offering.
Taft The Jack
Taking cues directly from baroque wingtips, the Jack features floral designs that perfectly go against the warm, brown leather toes and hell. Yet they still have that street attitude making them perfect.
It’s got a two-tone design and not just in the looks. The shoe is crafted from both leather and fabric for a show that’s all its own.
Enjoy their various colors and the fact that they come in a low-top style and a mid-top one.
Magnanni Warwick
The Warwick is perfect for those who love the style and comfort that a traditional sneaker offers without ditching a dress shoe’s ‘proper’ look. That means the upper is class, while the sole is street.
A mullet shoe.
Made in Spain and crafted by hand, Warwicks will be your next family heirloom.
To Wrap It Up
Dressing in sneakers is always an interesting idea and sometimes tricky to attempt, but there are a couple of steps you can take to make the process a whole lot easier.
First, opt for dress pants that fall just above the ankle. This gives your sneakers more room to breathe and shine while also not clumping your suit pants around the bottoms of your sneakers.
This look also adds a bit more youthfulness and swagger to your outfit of choice.
The second thing is to be the lookout for sneakers that are minimal in branding and design. Crazy sneaker designs are for other times, but suits need to shine on their own, not the shoes, let the eyes stay focused.
If you don’t like the minimal idea, go for brown leather offerings that give the sneaker a more mature look.
