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The very best white sneakers for males are greater than a mere wardrobe staple—they’re the bottom of the menswear meals pyramid, the pair of footwear you’ll doubtless attain for greater than some other in your closet. Which explains why there are a mind-boggling quantity of white sneakers out there, from all-time classics to wild-style flexes, upscale designer fashions to reasonably priced upstart manufacturers.
And whereas white sneakers, typically, should not the sneakers you lust after, drool over, or dream about (then come up brief on the SNKRS app after they drop), there may be an plain hit of endorphins while you crack open a recent pair. Scuff-free. Gleaming. As a result of the very best white sneakers are all the time the latest pair you have bought. Positive, there’s a bit disappointment while you thank your outdated, roughed-up pair of white sneakers for his or her lengthy and distinguished service and set them free. They delivered tons of of wears; held down tons of of suits. It is the circle of life.
To maintain the circle going, we surveyed tons of of potential white sneaks, examined out the cream of the crop, and settled on these seven picks—together with 25 honorable mentions—as the very best white sneakers for males. (With a couple of extra right here should you want solely the best white sneakers under $100.)
Go forth and be recent.
Don’t miss GQ’s definitive information to the whole lot kicks—from the types of sneakers all the time price copping to the very best methods to attain the following sizzling drop.
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It may appear loopy now, over a decade into its comeback, however for awhile there it was actually exhausting to discover a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths. In 2011, for causes unbeknownst to us—perhaps a scarcity of gross sales, perhaps to create a man-made shortage—Adidas ceased manufacturing of their most iconic tennis shoe for the primary time since its launch within the early ’70s. All of a sudden, the once-ubiquitous sneakers had been popping up on eBay for quadruple the retail value. By the point Adidas introduced them again round in 2014, folks had been clamoring for the OG low-tops, resulting in the Nice Stan Smith Growth of the 2010s. It appeared like each superstar on the planet was stepping out within the Three Stripes classics, and scarcely a problem of GQ would go by with out them popping up someplace in our pages. The relaunch hysteria has fortunately pale over time, however the Stan Smith’s enchantment completely hasn’t. Regardless of what number of commas you may have in your checking account, these $95 icons provides you with all of the extremely clear vibes you can ask for. Simply pray Adidas by no means takes them away once more.
When it first landed on the scene in 2004, the Common Projects Achilles Low felt revolutionary: a easy, streamlined tennis shoe crafted by hand in Italy from advantageous Napa leather-based. In 2022, the luxurious sneaker market is flooded with riffs on minimalist low-top sneakers—however CP nonetheless does ‘em higher than anyone. Our favourite mannequin today is the BBall, which marries the label’s signature no-frills aesthetic and high-quality development with hallmarks from timeless classics just like the Air Drive 1 and Stan Smith. Nonetheless clear and supple and constructed to final, however rather less stark and plain than its predecessor.
All actual sneakerheads know that black Air Force 1s are a bad omen—should you see somebody in them, it means you need to flip and run. White Air Drive 1s, then again, are an indication of nothing past the wearer’s very advantageous style. Since 1982, after they had been launched as Nike’s first basketball shoe to function its revolutionary Air tech, the AF1 has held it down because the Swoosh’s single most dependable mannequin. It’s hardly the flashiest Nike ever launched, or the very best acting on the courtroom, or essentially the most storied—however it’s tasteful, understated, and wholly timeless, three adjectives that don’t get thrown round in sneaker circles usually sufficient. Lengthy earlier than Balenciaga made clownishly oversized sneakers a thing, Air Drive 1s had been chunkier and extra bulbous than any of the sneakers that got here earlier than them. When doused in all-white, these proportions—together with the perforations on the toe and the panelling alongside the edges—really feel all of the extra statuesque. And whereas they give the impression of being unbelievable recent out the field, they’re amongst a uncommon class of white leather-based kicks that genuinely nonetheless look killer smoked to high hell. Whether or not you are in your first pair or your fortieth, it is by no means actually a nasty time to select up one other.
Seems to be-wise, the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star has hardly modified in any respect because it first hit the hardwood within the early Twenties. When it comes to development, although, the no-frills GOAT hit its peak within the ’70s: the canvas higher was weightier, the rubber midsole rode up a bit increased, the toe cap was a contact smaller, and the patch on the again of the heel was a cool retro black fairly than the usual white. A couple of years again, Converse determined to make them that means once more. For a cool $85, the Chuck 70 will get you all these key design upgrades, plus the advantage of trendy cushioning put in into the thicker classic outsoles. They’re the identical Chucks you have all the time cherished, solely higher.
If Pete Doherty’s lyrics and each problem of NME from the ‘90s are to be believed, the Reebok Membership C is the most-worn sneaker—sorry, coach—by wayward youths within the British Isles. It is also the exact same sneaker that Harry Styles himself turned to for a clear look. What makes the Membership C such a perfect all-purpose shoe? It is nondescript sufficient to work with the whole lot in your wardrobe, however nonetheless distinctive sufficient (that tiny Union Jack on the brand!) to not look completely bland. When you’re eager to modify up your common rotation of Chucks and Stan Smiths—otherwise you’re a very large Pulp fan—the Membership C is the way in which to go.
When the legendary French open air clothes shop Salomon wished to get extra folks involved in their hyper-functional sneakers, they scoured their archives for silhouettes that would function canvasses for wild colorways: electrical limes, hearth truck reds, recent ocean blues. Because it occurs, although, Salomon’s footwear look loads sharp with no shade in any respect. The nylon mesh, modern panels, and quick-lace system work even higher collectively iced out in glacial whites, and the grippy lug soles appear someway fiercer. Like all Salomon kicks, the XT-Wings Superior 2 has all of the instruments to beat craggy mountainsides, however it’ll carry out simply as nicely on the town streets together with your largest brunch suits.
A variety of upstart manufacturers strive their palms at making retro vulcanized sneakers, however few have as wealthy a backstory or as distinct a perspective as Stepney Employees Membership. Based in London in 2018, S.W.C. borrows its name from a 1920s anti-fascist sports group, and its signature mannequin—the Dellow—is predicated immediately on an outdated canvas sneaker the model’s designers as soon as got here throughout. They up to date the straightforward design and delightful development, added their very own winsome handshake brand, after which decked the shoe out in a variety of colours and supplies. Lately yow will discover the Dellow in clean suedes and hardy canvases, however for our cash the very best model is that this white leather-based model. It is lower than $90 for a sneaker with many years of historical past and sensible design underneath its belt. That is the way you craft an on the spot traditional, children.