The classic shoe is simple to dress up or dress down, and you can change up the whole feel by alternating silhouettes and fabrics. Go for leather, canvas, suede, or even high-tech knitted fabric. The white sneaker is a year-round, endlessly cool staple.
From high-tops to low-tops to slip-ons, from high-end and luxe to old-school and affordable, we’ve rounded up some of the best white sneakers available now. These are the styles our editors have tried, tested, and loved. From our closet, to yours.
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Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. We may earn a commission from these links. Here’s how we test products and why you should trust us.
If you’re in the market for some high-tops, take a cue from our editors and opt for the Ray Sneakers. These are simple and sleek, with a minimalist design that look especially great with jeans and a stand-out jacket. Soft deerskin leather makes these feel so damn luxurious, and the metallic goatskin leather lining adds serious flair.
| Materials | Deerskin leather, goatskin, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | EU 41-EU 46 |
best iconic white sneakers
Nike Air Force 1 ’07 Sneakers
It’s almost impossible to beat the Air Force 1. Aside from sitting at the very heart of the sneaker world, it looks great with almost everything. Dress these up with a drippy blazer and some pleated plants, or keep it casual with excellent pants and your favorite tee. We also love the thicker shoe—not a dad shoe, to be sure, but thicker than something like a Koio—with a wider fit pant for an easily cool outfit.
| Materials | Leather, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 7-16 |
best OG white sneakers
Adidas Originals Stan Smith
The classic white sneakers that came before “classic white sneakers” were a bona fide thing. The best part about these might be how comfortable they are, or they might be how easy they are to style—our editors can’t decide. Plus, they’re Stan Smiths—the sneakers that never go out of style and that work well with everything.
| Materials | Leather, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-10.5 |
best simple white sneakers
Vans Classic Slip-On
A tried and true classic for under 100 bucks. You don’t have to be a skater to indulge in the infallibility of Vans, or the lightweight style, comfort, and absolutely timelessly cool looks. If you need a shoe that you can be certain looks great with shorts—particularly, with any linen or swimwear around a vacation—these are it. We also like them for easy slipping on when taking out the dog or the trash.
| Materials | Canvas, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-16 |
best retro white sneakers
Reebok Club C 85
Pros
- Vintage design
- Super comfortable
- Great price
Cons
- Easy color transfer from denim
The Reebok Club C 85 is my most recommended white sneaker. They are an easy $75, go on sale often, and come in a range of white and neutral combinations. These classic, low-profile shoes have passed the test of time, and the test of our editors—they’re comfortable, cushiony, and cool. Reebok’s nostalgic style is as relevant as ever, though, thanks to embroidered details and a minimalist appearance. Wear it with jeans, shorts, or cool linen pants.
| Materials | Leather, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-13 |
best unique white sneakers
Asics GEL-NUNOBIKI
For some chunky lifestyle sneakers, go with a reliable brand like Asics, which has function and fashion rolled into one. With shock-absorbing gel technology, these are as comfortable as an athletic sneaker, but as versatile as any everyday shoe you need. You can keep with the athletic-born style and wear them with workout or workout-adjacent clothes. Or, you can be trendy as hell and wear them with wider fit trousers or roomy linen pants.
| Materials | Leather, rubber |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-14 |
What to Look For
Not all white sneakers are created equal. Take it from me, a person who once had upwards of 50 white sneakers in their closet. Here are some details to keep in mind:
The Shape: A low-profile white sneaker (like Greats or Koio) is fresh, easy for the office or out to dinner. But sometimes a high-top is a little cooler, or something a little chunkier is more your style. I also love an athletic shoe, for athletics or not. All of these wear differently.
The Materials: The low-top sneakers with a simple leather upper is going to be one of the easiest to wear, and everyone should have one—it’s timeless and a true no-brainer. But for something more casual, there’s canvas and knit uppers. For something edgier, there are combinations of those, suede, you name it.
The Aesthetic: It’s largely the combination of shape and materials that create the aesthetic of the shoe. It is a sneaker, so it will always be casual. But the higher quality the materials and simpler the design, the sleeker the feel.
Why You Can Trust Esquire
We’re not about writing how great things are if they aren’t actually great. Every product in Esquire’s roundups is carefully curated by our fashion and e-commerce teams.
When it comes to white sneakers, a certifiably classic wardrobe item, you can rest assured that we’re hand-selecting styles that we’ve personally tested, tried, and loved, along with styles that the rest of our stylish colleagues here at Esquire endorse. We’ve had to go through a lot of trial and error, and these white sneakers are the ones that are simply the best.
Every pick on this list (and our other lists!) comes from years of wearing different things, seeing what we love and what we don’t, and going from there. No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you’re looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.
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