All Hail the 5 Sneakers of Summer

Clean. Well-shaped. Put ‘em on a pedestal.

By The Editors
May 21, 2015 9:00 am

In the land of eternal youth, casual footwear is king. Comfy. Clean. Always wearable. Outside observers may consider our sneaker fetish man-childish, but we say the ability to keep one’s sneakers fresh, clean and crispy is exactly what makes one a man. Here are five worthy of your greenbacks.

The Casual Go-To

Goes with jeans. Goes with shorts. Greats’ Rosen plays pretty versatile and has a classic track silhouette a la New Balance. But the suede accents, high-density nylon body and lack of logo come together for a cleaner look than NBs. For day wear only.

The Up-for-Anything

The Gregory, seen here in tan, is a collaboration between Clae and Publish, two local brands the street-style set loves. Super soft leather upper. EVA outsole. It’s breathable, supportive and built to last. Good for strolling Abbot Kinney or dinner on the Westside.

The All-White

You need one pair of white sneakers. Common Projects’ Achilles is artsier than your average pair, with sharp, perforated Italian leather and CP’s signature ID stamp on the heel counter. They look great with a pair of Bermuda shorts or a casual summer suit.  

The Sporty

Because you need something sporty, there’s the Nike Free OG 14 Woven. Their standard barefoot design is churched up here, with a black nylon basket weave that keeps ‘em snug while turning heads.

The Going Out

Are sneakers okay for going out in Hollywood? Yes. As long as they’re Axel Arigato’s high-top sneakers, seen here in black (the whites are pretty dashing as well). Made with Italian leather in an alligator pattern. You’d have to be pretty unruly for a bouncer to deny you entrance while wearing these.

Related:
The Shirt Every LA Man Needs
Italian Leather Basketballs? That’s Baller.

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