Closet Constructor: The Best Affordable Sneakers for Summer

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Welcome to Closet Constructor, a weekly series where I (a style editor) help you (a well-meaning person who likes clothes) discover new, interesting and affordable ways to really start dressin’.

Summer, the unofficial official season of sneakers, if only because even the idea of yanking on leather derbies or hefty work boots is enough to induce a sweaty panic, feels like the perfect time to commiserate over the Adidas Samba.

The decades-old soccer silo and 2023 SOTS (sneaker of the summer) is, as the kids put it, well and truly cooked, an unavoidable if fully expected loss. This is not a particularly revelatory take, but It is a tale we’ve come to expect — (re)discovered on the backs of high-octane Wales Bonner makeovers and a resurgence in blokecore, the Samba simply flew too close to the proverbial sun, ultimately culminating in Adidas overplaying their hand with a mass of unwanted collabs and icky colorways. This is how the cut-throat trend cycle seems to work these days — a pattern of hype, oversaturation, crash.

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But Samba fatigue is a bummer, not only because the style was a genuinely great staple, versatile, easy to wear and comfortable, but because the Samba was, in relative terms, incredibly affordable. In a sneaker market that routinely slaps $220 premiums on sneakers plastered with a JJJJound logo, the Samba’s original sticker price — the sneaker is often available for as little as $45 — was proof that fire footwear didn’t have to put you into crippling credit card debt.

With Samba dead and buried (for now), the question shifts to what affordable sneaker will take it place. There are a variety of possible answers here: common sneaker sensibility would direct you to an adjacent, similarly priced Adidas style. Case in point: the streets have been flocking to the Gazelle in droves for nearly a year now. Alternatively, longtime sneaker bastions — the Reebok Club C, a forever darling at $80, or Sperry’s preppy CVO sneaker (also $80) — offer an uncomplicated (if ubiquitous) path forward for your summer footwear rotation.

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The slightly more under-the-radar option comes, as it so often does, courtesy of Nike. For all of the swoosh’s financial woes and perceived lack of innovation — reporting suggests that Nike has ceded large swaths of not just to its main competitor, Adidas, but to fresher footwear faces, as the likes of Hoka and On make major moves — it’s historical canon of heritage sneakers remains undefeated, and, with an eye toward to demand for retro styles, has been quietly reintroducing iconic silos like the JAW-endorsed Cortez into it’s Air Max and Jordan-dominated stock.

In particular, Nike’s storied (and severely underrated) Waffle sneakers are primed to make a comeback. The sneaker, with origins rooted in track and field and a breathable mesh upper that’s demonstrably perfect for sticky, swelting temps, and, perhaps most importantly, a pricetag well under $100, proves a galaxy brain pick for summer.

Legendary streetwear label Stussy seems to think so too — the brand’s turbocharged version of Nike’s LD-1000 leans hard on the slim, waffled look, poppy colorways and accessible price point for what’s arguably the shoe of the season so far. Chances are you’ll miss out (the sneaker launched at 10:00 AM EST), but a slightly more reversed Waffle Racer 2 ($90) is a perfectly serviceable alternative.

Given that commandeering these kicks won’t supplant paying rent this month, it stands to reason that you can take that extra money you were going to spend in invest it into a full ‘fit instead. A big, bold pair of pants — maybe cargo, maybe camo, maybe both — help even out a neutral sneaker like the Waffle Racer. Finish it off with the perfect white tee and some monochromatic lightweight layering (read: a swaggy vest) and you’ve got yourself a nice little summer look.

Anyone hungry? I’m feeling brunch…maybe waffles? Enjoy the weekend.