Clothing > Footwear
12 Best Dress Sneakers for Men: Stylish Comfort
If you’ve got a good handle on the basics in your menswear wardrobe, especially when it comes to your footwear rotation, it can be fun to branch out ever so slightly.
Take a pair of fresh sneakers, for instance. There are classic canvas options, high-top editions, tennis sneakers and even hybrid sneaker boots. Here’s the fun part: dress sneakers add sleek style, variety and yes, a dressy-meets-laidback appeal to your wardrobe.
- Sporty yet stylish: The best dress sneakers blend the comfort and technology of sneakers with the streamlined appeal of dress shoes, minus any potential burden on your feet.
- Accessible luxury: As opposed to the construction of dress shoes, which can be finished by hand and take considerable labor, dress sneakers are more affordably priced and easy to wear.
- Decisions, decisions: Dress sneakers present a world of potential style choices, as they can be paired up with everything from stretch chinos to dark blue jeans to a stretch suit.
Often made from streamlined leather in rich colors, the best dress sneakers can add sporty style to a tailored suit, they can mesh perfectly with an Oxford shirt and tan chinos, and they can even wear well with dark blue jeans and an unstructured blazer.
They’re luxurious yet laidback, and they’ve got all the sneaker technology and comfort you could ever want.
When your wardrobe requires a swerve from typical dress shoes, opt for the best dress sneakers.
A little over a decade ago, GREATS changed the sneaker market with its highly affordable, accessible takes on the classics – all made with premium materials and construction, minus the mark-up. The Royale was its original flagship, and the Royale 2.0 gets even better with sustainable design, flexible construction and richly crafted leather.
Try these:
Jack Reacher, James Patterson, Brandon Sanderson
GREATS Royale 2.0
Recall what we said earlier about GREATS blending refined design with premium materials and construction, all at a low price? That’s absolutely the case with the Royale 2.0, which deliver standout value and some serious bang for your buck.
Cole Haan ZERØGRAND Laser Wing Oxford
Among potential purveyors of stylish dress sneakers, Cole Haan has certainly carved out its place in the market.
A perforated leather upper meets a sleek sneaker sole in ultra-streamlined fashion, all the better for stylish versatility. Pair these with a navy suit for a nice change of pace.
KOIO Capri in Mocha
One of the fun parts about trying a new style, like the best dress sneakers? Really leveing up and investing in the best, as with these handsome KOIO sneakers.
The rich dark brown leather colorway – in a monochromatic design – is about as elegant as it gets in the sneaker world, with a streamlined shape that’s perfectly easy to dress up.
Grantstone Coast Sneakers
It certainly pays off to shop a trusted footwear brand when searching for the best dress sneakers – Grantstone boots are legendary for their comfort and handsome style, after all.
The Coast Sneakers carry on that same legacy in casually cool fashion, with a low-profile design you can easily dress up with stretch chinos.
LUCA Terra Low Sneakers
Remember the gum sole construction of your favorite chukka boots? Now, merge that design with the low profile of an Oxford-style sneaker, then build it in Portugal from rich, supple suede and leather.
The final product? These classically cool sneakers from Huckberry.
Beckett Simonon Reid Sneakers
The best dress sneakers come in all shapes and sizes, from smooth premium leather to the eye-catching, nuanced pebbled leather seen here.
Beckett Simonon also crafts its sneakers to exceptionally high standards, all without a designer mark-up – you can certainly feel great about these stylish dress sneakers.
OLUKAI Lae'ahi Li 'ILI Sneakers
OLUKAI might specialize in casual, beach-friendly sandals, but its dress sneakers are not to be overlooked, either.
The brand injects that same quality and a soft, supple midsole construction into these sneakers, which feature versatile, rich leather that should only get better with age.
Clarks Mapstone Lace Sneakers
Speaking of chukka boots: One of the original masters of the iconic style is on a mission to take over the rest of your footwear rotation, starting with a pair of the best dress sneakers.
These feature a futuristic, wavy upper and an equally wavy outsole, while the EVA midsole delivers springy comfort all day long.
Grenson Sneaker 1
Heritage quality meets modern style in the world of Grenson, be it the British footwear maker’s rugged-yet-refined boots or these ever-versatile sneakers.
Elegant leather in rich, contrasting tones pairs up nicely with distinct design details, like an extended leather strip on the tongue of these sneakers – they’re surely unlike any you’ve got in your wardrobe.
Todd Snyder Tuscan Low-Profile Sneakers
Todd Snyder specializes in looking to the past for iconic styles, then bringing them forward into the 21st century, and his newly updated footwear line hits the nail on the head.
The Tuscan is inspired by vintage kicks, featuring details like handsome suede and leather in a sleek, crisp silhouette.
FRYE Astor Low Lace Sneakers
FRYE has a legendary penchant for craftsmanship and heritage design, particularly among its line of USA-made boots. But what about crisp, well-made leather sneakers?
The same sentiment certainly holds true, while PORON footbeds provide springy rebound underfoot, a nice touch alongside stylish, dressy leather uppers.
Rockport Colle Tie Sneakers
Not every pair of dress sneakers needs to stick to one style. Take these textured leather sneakers from Rockport: From suede to leather to textured leather paneling, they offer a sartorial journey from heel to toe. The rich leather also wears handsomely with dark blue jeans.
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