The Something-for-Everyone Sneaker Guide

In an industry notorious for pollution, underpaid labor, and virtue signaling, Veja makes every effort to do things right. The French footwear brand doesn’t just use environmentally conscious materials, like responsibly sourced Amazonian rubber and Leather Working Group–certified suede. It also purchases those materials directly from farmers, paying above-market prices and, in some cases, even prefinancing harvests up to 40 percent. Cooler still, it conducts comprehensive carbon studies and publishes the results on its website.

New Balance basically fathered this trend (sorry) with its now-iconic 990 series, which originally launched in 1982. This particular model, the 990v5, has the kind of comfort-centric design and unpretentious aesthetic that any man over 50 would appreciate. And while they’re engineered for running (the ENCAP midsole cushions your every step), they work just as well in nonworkout settings—say, styled with a well-cut pair of straight-leg jeans.

Introduced in 1966 and intended to be worn by Olympians in training, the adidas Gazelle has a low profile and a sleek, streamlined design. The simplicity of the now-iconic design makes it an apt canvas for exposition. Case in point: Alessandro Michele’s reimaginings of the shoe for the adidas x Gucci collaboration. The wide-ranging collection, which draws inspiration from vintage ’80s and ’90s looks, riffs on the iconography of both brands. One standout: a pair of Gazelles done in the house’s beige-and-brown GG logo fabric and finished with adidas’s three-stripe mark and a cobranded trefoil created for the collab.

A mini history lesson for you: In 1963, adidas produced its first leather sneaker. It was exceedingly simple, done in all white with perforations where the signature stripes should have been, and it was named after the French tennis player Robert Haillet. It wasn’t until over a decade later, when Haillet retired, that adidas officially renamed the style after American player Stan Smith and the shoe gained traction in the US market.

The now-ubiquitous sneakers have been worn by everyone from Jay-Z to Phoebe Philo, who was routinely spotted in them at Celine shows during her tenure as creative director. And for good reason(s): They’re clean, they’re classic, and—best of all—they go with everything in your closet.

The Air Jordan 1 is easily the most famous style in this roundup: Even those who claim to know nothing about sneaker culture will recognize the silhouette. It debuted in 1985, after a struggling Nike inked a five-year contract with then-rookie Michael Jordan. The OG shoe was red, white, and black, to match Jordan’s Chicago Bulls jersey (a wild choice because at the time, every other player in the league wore all-white sneakers—an NBA rule). Legend has it that the NBA banned the shoe and fined Jordan $5,000 every time he played in them. Nike footed the bill—a small price to pay for publicity—and the rest, as they say, is history.

If you haven’t heard of On, allow us to introduce you to the fastest-growing running-shoe company in the world—and the featherweight trainers favored by Olympians. What makes these shoes different: the easy-entry lacing system, the minimalist design, and the fact that those antimicrobial mesh uppers feel fresh even after a whole hour of Tracy Anderson. But what makes them outstanding are the CloudTec soles, which provide an insanely smooth, even step. Reinforced with signature grippiness on the bottom, this classic pair is fit for just about any activity: intense runs, leisurely hikes, dance cardio, treadmill climbs—you name it.

In their 80-something-year history, Converse All Stars have been many things: the first-ever celebrity-endorsed sneaker (Chuck Taylor’s signature is still on the ankle patch), the official shoe of both the 1936 US Olympic men’s basketball team and the American armed forces during World War II (talk about range!), and a favorite style of entire musical subcultures, from punk rockers to grunge kids.

We particularly love the Chuck 70s: a revitalization of the classic retro design, made of a slightly more-substantial-feeling canvas with yellow-tinted soles reminiscent of aged rubber.