International- Leather sneakers can up your style game whether paired with a suit or a sweater and jeans.
- We chose the Greats Royale Sneaker as the best overall for quality, style, and a great price for handcrafted sneakers that are made in Italy.
Today's office dress codes have led to the slow demise of dressing formally. Employees are no longer required to wear ties, while athleisure wear now has blurred the line between your workout and your workday. The casual work attire also ushered in the popularity of leather sneakers - footwear with the poise and refinement of a dress shoe, but also with the comfort of a running shoe. This list is focused on the kind of sneakers that are versatile enough to get you from the office to a dinner date or semi-formal event without hurting your feet or compromising your sense of style.
Generally speaking, the name of the game when it comes to dressing up sneakers is minimalism. Sleek monochrome sneakers won't call unwanted attention to themselves and will instead add to the overall effect of your outfit. Whether they're white, black, gray, or even a bright primary color, the cleaner the shoe's design, the easier it will be to pull them off in a dressier situation. And yes, you can wear white sneakers in winter. Pair them with brighter colored denim or chinos and a thick neutral-toned wool sweater for a clean, refined winter look.
The suit-and-sneakers combo has by now become commonplace but even so, it takes a little finesse to pull it off. If you're planning on achieving this look, a modern, tailored, slimmer cut works best. Go with pants with no break or a slight break (the break is where the material creases just above the bottom of the pant leg opening) that just brush the top of the sneaker.
We chose the Greats Royale Sneaker as best overall because of its classic good looks, high-quality, solid construction, and price point for handcrafted shoes made in Italy. They're $179, which may seem pricey until you learn these sneakers are made in the same factories in the seaside town of Civitanova Marche, that luxury brands use for their sneakers that sell for twice or three-times the price.
Here are the best leather sneakers for men you can buy:
- Best leather sneakers overall: Greats Royale
- Best leather sneakers on a budget: Adidas Superstars
- Best leather sneakers for dressing up: M. Gemi Lucente
- Best leather sneakers for traveling: Kizit New York
- Best hybrid leather sneakers: Cole Haan Zerøgrand Wingtip Oxford
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