Shoes are a funny thing. You can throw on the best-cut suit in the world, but if your sneakers are trash, you may as well be wearing sweatpants. On the flip side, get the footwear right and suddenly even jeans and a plain tee feel good and look good. That’s the whole game of luxury sneakers: they really set the tone for how you walk into a room.
And here’s the truth: most men don’t need more shoes, they need better shoes. The kind you don’t have to think twice about before leaving the house. The ones that age with you, instead of ageing you.
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Below, a hit list of the luxury pairs worth spending on right now. Call them investment pieces, call them everyday wear — either way, they’re proof that money well-spent really does show at your feet.
Zegna Off-White Deerskin Triple Stitch™
If you know, you know. Zegna’s Triple Stitch has quietly become one of those markers of taste — subtle, slim, and stitched with tailoring DNA. Off-white deerskin, feather-light sole, that trio of elastic crosses: it’s the sneaker equivalent of a whisper that somehow drowns out the noise. Slip them on once, and other “luxury” sneakers start to feel like toys.
Saint Laurent SL/61
No logos, no chunky silhouettes, just immaculate leather and a profile that looks good with literally everything. The SL/61 isn’t here for trends, it’s here for the long game. Scuff them, beat them, wear them to death — they’ll look better for it. Saint Laurent has cracked the code on sneakers that don’t scream “expensive,” but quietly insist they are.
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Tod’s Leather Sneakers
Tod’s doesn’t do hype. What they do is calfskin that feels like butter and a sole dotted with those signature rubber pebbles. The result? Sneakers that feel as good in the boardroom as they do at brunch. They won’t get you stopped on the street — and that’s exactly the point.
Louis Vuitton Buttersoft
Pharrell’s first big sneaker play at LV is exactly what the name suggests: soft, cushy, almost cloud-like. Think ’60s sneaker nostalgia, but dialled up with Vuitton details and little Pharrell Easter eggs (yes, there’s even a lobster motif in there). Wear them if you like your luxury with a wink.
Jimmy Choo Diamond Maxi M II
This one’s not subtle. A sculptural, faceted sole that looks like it belongs in a design museum and enough height to make you rethink leg day. It’s bold, futuristic, borderline outrageous — which is exactly what makes it fun. For guys who want their sneakers to be noticed before anything else.
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Ralph Lauren Bayston Canvas Trainer
Canvas uppers, leather trim, vulcanised sole — basically the Ivy League uniform of sneakers. The Bayston doesn’t overcomplicate things, which is why it works. You throw them on with chinos, with shorts, with jeans. They’re not trying to reinvent the wheel; they’re just the pair you’ll reach for all summer.
Maison Margiela Replicas Shoes
Margiela’s Replica is fashion insider shorthand. Inspired by old German army trainers, dressed up in white leather and suede with a gum sole, they’ve become the brand’s calling card. They’re not flashy, they’re not trendy, they’re just… correct. If you get it, you get it.