+++ sneakers +++

[Europe's Finest]

The whole week I'm wearin fine leather shoes, but on casual days I like to wear comfortable sneakers.

I personally prefer Reeboks, they are classic and fit very good to a relaxed pair of jeans. I think Sneakers from Prada are too colorful, too "stylish" for Sneakers.

I would like to hear all of your thoughts, and I 'm especially interested in YOUR Sneakers.

 

[PConsultant]

I prefer Adidas, but mainly since I was raised as a soccer player and their shoes are the dominant brand in the sport. Overall, the Adidas sneakers I've liked are comfortable, well-designed, made with quality, and classically styled. I usually buy their simplest, least flashy shoes; I have a pair of green Stan Smiths, black Mundial turfs, and I'd like to get a pair of Samba Ks (I think there's a pic of a model wearing a pair in this month's GQ). You can view their "Originals" line here: http://thestore.adidas.com/cgi-bin....3D43249

 

[Dalton]

I bought a pair of new Nike Shox around Christmas and I love them to death. They are a very dark grey with some black so I can wear them with other things, besides just to the gym. I paid $160 for them, but they are worth every penny. They are hands down the best running shoe I have ever had. If you are a runner, you'll want these because, you can run for days and your feet won't get tired in them. Plus, they look very cool with a casual outfit.

 

[JGreen]

I do a lot of long distance running and have tried almost every brand. However, the pair that I most recently bought which is the Nike Shox are by far the most comfortable pair that I have owned. I used to be a big fan of New Balance, but as of late it is Nike all the way.

 

[Dragonfly]

I think Puma sneakers are cool too.. especially the vintage style ones...

 

[NavyStyles]

I like New Balance, but I wear them for the most part running. If you want to wear some with jeans, I think Adidas look best. If you wanna go for a run, choose Nike or New Balance.

 

[j]

My friend sells shoes, and he tells me that Nikes are really poorly made for the money they cost. New Balance makes the best running shoes (in his opinion). That's not to say anything about the style of Nikes (although I never see any I like), just the quality.

For with jeans, you can go a few ways. There are a bunch of very classic styles that always work (depending on the type of jeans of course). Here are some:

Adidas Stan Smiths - white smooth leather w/ holes for the stripes

Adidas Samba K or Mundial Turf (I think, maybe it was Copa) - gum-soled soccer shoes, black smooth kangaroo leather which feels like gloves for your feet and the signature white stripes on the sides

K-Swiss don't know the model name - white smooth leather tennis shoe w/ split toe design, a competitor to the Stan Smiths and probably a lot better for playing tennis in

Puma makes good soccer shoes too, and I used to have a pair of the nubuck 'casual not soccer' ones with the coloured and white soles that are sort of vintage style, and I wore them totally out because they went with everything I had back then.

 

[Steve B.]

New Balance used to be the only brand NOT made in China, which is why I started buying them Recently they've caved too- so I just bought a new Chinese made pair anyway. Very comfortable, for power walking in the hills. I tried on the Shox, and thought my New Balance 1040s (forgive the irony of the model number) felt much better on my feet...

 

[TheSunAlsoRises]

For running I have a pair of New Balance and a pair of Adidas, but for a casual outfit I have a pair of black with white detailing Kenneth Cole sneakers.  They're very european looking and I usually get a compliment or two on them.

 

[GQgeek]

The only time i wear running shoes anymore is when I'm running. The pair i do have are nike and i'm pretty happy with them as they are very light and comfortable. Personally I think running shoes look ridiculous with anything but sweat pants or jeans (which i never wear anyway) but that's just me.

If you want more comfort I'm sure you can find a nice pair of casual leather shoes (gucci has some NICE ones right now). I just got a pair of suede hugo boss shoes and they slip right on; they're so comfortable I don't even know I'm wearing them (10x more comfortable than running shoes). And next time i go shopping I'm gonna get a pair of these gucci shoes i saw that are really nice.

 

[thc]

When I play sports or go running, I have Adidas shoes. For "dressy" sneakers, I have a great pair of Bally shoes. They are the most comfortable shoes I own--better than Tod's. And I've gotten lots of complements on them for their looks. I think they're kind of a "hot" shoe right now. Or at least I saw them mentioned in a couple of magazines...

 

[clarinetplayer]

Not sneakers, but Mephisto shoes are the ultimate in casual comfort. They last forever.

 

[Michael]

New Balance 2000's are about the most serious running shoe on the market. With a $200 price tag, they also assure their wearer a little differentiation amongst the thousands of similar pairs of shoes that one might see on a college campus or at the mall. Not to mention the kangaroo leather that their made from is tested to be the strongest and best, most breathable leather for running. Add to that the fact that DuPont manufactures the inside of the shoe with a synthetic sock which actually carries moisture to the outside of the shoe. Oh, and they're really quite comfy without socks-really.
Oh yeah, and they're the best looking New Balance on the market. If a runner ever catches you wearing 2000s, then you're good in his/her book.

 

[GatorStyle]

Though lots of old school sneakers have been mentioned here, I'm surprised not to have seen Adidas shelltoe Superstars brought up. Those, and the older Nike Air Cortez sneaks are staples in my wardrobe. For more modern stuff, I'm addicted to Adidas' new Sport Luxury (SL) line. Go with white and silver trim- clean lines, very cool.

As for more sophisticated "urban streetwear" or "dress" sneakers, I offer this unpaid endorsement: Hyde. Loyal GQ readers, you probably noticed tons of advertisements over the last year or two. A division of Saucony, Hydes are modeled after real old-school (think 1920's, 30's, 40's) football and baseball cleats. I used to have Campers and Kenneth Coles that looked like them, but these babies are the real deal. They've gotten more compliments than any sneaker I've ever had.

 

[j]

I couldn't remember the name of the Hydes, but I wanted a pair of those when I first saw them a couple years ago. I was going to get some until I saw KC and other companies coming out with ripoffs, and they lost all uniqueness value in my book. Now I don't have a pair of 'dressy sneakers' but I wear my Bally driving shoes like most people wear dressy sneakers and they work in pretty much all such situations, and look good in more dressy situations too.

As for the shelltoes - I never really liked those but they are definitely a timeless old school style. Too clunky or something for me, or maybe it's just that so many wannabe g's at my high school had them.