In-person with some clean kicks from a “great” brand. T-shirt by American Apparel. Shorts by Banana Republic. Watch by Timex Ameritus and patterned watch strap by The Knottery.
Finding a great pair of sneakers for the spring is a move that can make it a lot easier to shop around for the rest of your gear. An awesome pair of well-made sneakers have tons of styling potential — jeans, chinos and shorts can all be worn with ease with some simple shoes. GREATS, out of Brooklyn, N.Y., is a brand that’s been featured a few times in recent weeks on this site (and elsewhere lately) for delivering innovative, modern sneakers at outstanding prices. They seem to be launching new models every couple of weeks, and they’ve also partnered with menswear luminaries like Nick Wooster on various designs.
But it was the brand’s simple Wilson silhouette that first caught my eye. This pair of sneakers made my spring style wish list a few weeks ago, and I was lucky enough to pick up a pair before jetting off to Florida recently for a weekend vacation (a few more photos of that trip can be seen on my Twitter and Instagram feeds). The Wilson is available in quite a few colorways — and in both canvas and suede options — but the all-white pair was my first pick, namely for versatility and crisp style potential.
A look at the Wilson sneakers in all-white, fresh from the box.
The sneakers arrived in what you might call the brand’s signature blue-and-white packaging. Notably, they didn’t have any scuffs or marks on first inspection — sometimes tricky to do with all-white items. Out of the box, they came with thinner ripcord laces, in addition to a handy backup pair of thicker white cotton laces — although I found the hint of stretch in the ripcord laces to be a nice bonus.
Hardly any logos on these sneakers other than the blue-and-white “G” on the heel here. Pull tab is a handy addition for slipping them on.
The Wilson features metal shoelace eyelets, a canvas upper, pull-tab heel and captoe construction, which adds a nice bit of durability in a mold similar to the Converse Jack Purcell — no need to worry about the toe giving out on these bad boys. The branding on these is thankfully minimal, with only a blue-and-white Greats “G” logo placed on the back heel and the middle sole.
Plenty of styling potential with these sneakers. Buttondown shirt by Saturdays Surf NYC. Lightwash jeans by J. Crew. Glasses by Warby Parker.
These sneakers feature sturdier construction and a thicker heel than other models of white sneakers I’ve had, which is a definite plus (no knock on those Tretorns, though). They felt comfortable with a pair of no-show socks when walking for several hours, and they broke in right away — no crazy stiffness or toughness to the canvas upper or heel. And as far as styling potential goes, these sneakers have definitely got it. On my Florida trip, I threw them on with both a charcoal pocket tee, khaki shorts and a white watch/patterned watch strap, as well as a patterned short-sleeve buttondown and lightwash jeans (as seen above). The clean white color would also work with dark denim or olive chinos, and I plan to try them out with a casual blazer & light grey chinos in the coming weeks, too. Standard khaki chinos would also work well.
Relatively minimal shape and a durable-looking captoe complete these kicks. Ripcord laces add some nice stretch, too.
As always, price was a big factor in my decision to pick these up; other minimal sneaker models are out there (and in more luxe materials like leather), but these are far and away the best bang for your buck at $49. For spring and summer style versatility, these are great to have on-hand — if you catch my drift.
Editor’s note: Get $10 off a pair of GREATS sneakers using the code ROOKIEX.
Do you have any experience with GREATS sneakers? What do you think? And how would you style them a pair like this?
The Style Guide 
[…] Oak, this was positive indeed — just like the rest of my selections this month. When worn with my GREATS sneakers and a nice dive watch, the outfit was an ideal transitional, spring-ready get-up — one that could […]
[…] a deep tan khaki pair, too. The buttondown collar makes this one polo you can wear with white sneakers and a blazer — an unconstructed navy option (keep coming back to that one, right?) offers lots of […]
[…] wear this with a lightweight navy or khaki blazer and chinos, or a pair of lightwash denim and white sneakers (sleeves rolled, of course). The lighter weight is also going to come in handy these next few […]
[…] here folks, and if you haven’t made the transition from your sturdy winter boots to some crisp white sneakers or classic runners, now is definitely the time to start doing so. All of this talk of transitioning […]
[…] color make these the perfect high-low sneaker option.A full review of these sneakers can be found here — but in short, they’re the ideal combination of excellent looks for a stellar price. […]
[…] moving around and sitting — the suede wingtips seen above could easily be swapped out for white sneakers, while the chambray shirt could be traded in for a pocket tee; in the cold weather, a navy wool […]
[…] shirt is wearable with lightwash jeans, dark denim or, perhaps most crucially, khaki shorts and white sneakers. Both Slim and Standard sizing options are available in several sizes as of post time, too. But as […]
[…] even a suit if you play your cards right. If you reach for a pair with a slim silhouette, like the GREATS Wilson, the styling potential is ready for just about any situation — short of a black tie dinner. […]
[…] type of construction they make, for the low price point they offer. Crisp, casual options like the Wilson in White or the Rosen Runner in Navy could also be good pick-ups here for an even cheaper price. The […]
[…] also the best pick up top for simply throwing on with some tailored shorts. Casual touches like low-profile white sneakers can pair seamlessly with any of the aforementioned get-ups at an agreeable price, too– a […]
[…] both the versatility and the overall “cooling” factor of an outfit. Think leather loafers, crisp white sneakers or even runner-style sneakers in a neutral color. Any of those three options could work seamlessly […]
[…] with what I’ve experienced — although they’re different than a classic pair of white sneakers, a slip-on (especially one made with lux Italian leather) is worth a go this summer if you want to […]
[…] Black colorway would be the epitome of rugged downtown cool when paired with grey jeans and some white sneakers — the unfinished sleeves are perfect for rolling or styling as you […]
[…] bringing along my versatile G.H. Bass leather loafers (read more on them here) as well as my trusty GREATS Brand Wilson sneakers. I’m planning to pair the loafers with everything from chinos and T-shirts to jeans and […]
[…] swim trunks (more on those here) are faring quite nicely, too. On the footwear front, my trusty GREATS Brand Wilson sneakers and Leather Wooster Slip-ons have also pulled some double-duty on shore trips and casual wear […]
[…] During dinner, I kept things laidback with some Taylor Stitch chinos and my ever-reliable GREATS Brand sneakers – a combination perfect for strolling from cruise bar to cruise bar. And the heat of Athens on […]
[…] formal dinner situations alike, particularly with my Combatant Gentleman Sky Blue Chinos. My trusty GREATS Brand Wilson sneakers also proved durable and comfortable for exploring Athens and the Acropolis, and worked for dinner […]
[…] from which to build all kinds of outfits. That goes for weekend wear — like with white sneakers and a slub T-shirt, and makes its way to office wear during the week — alongside a crisp […]
[…] sneakers — although if you go the sportier route and opt for something like sweatshorts, crisp white sneakers certainly wouldn’t be amiss. And with either option, you could opt to go barefoot or grab […]
[…] are also taking on the captoe sneaker silhouette and competing admirably — GREATS and its Wilson sneaker certainly come to mind. And as the weather ramps up for most of us, a trusty leather high-top […]
[…] #WheelsUp!). And should those sneakers need some time out of the rotation, I’m sure my GREATS Brand Wilson sneakers in White will definitely get the job done with multiple pant […]
[…] It joins a lineup that includes the lux Leather Wooster Slip-on and low-profile offerings like the Wilson and the Rosen. Thankfully, there’s really no better time to rock a high-top sneaker than the […]
[…] sneaker, albeit in a bit more unique fashion. The chukka-style cut is a nice change of pace from lower-cut sneakers. Those types of kicks definitely have their place in spring and summer, but a chukka sneaker […]
[…] class and then work), and footwear goes hand-in-hand with that shift in perception. Now, I love my white sneakers for spring and summer, and I’m all about a sturdy pair of leather boots for fall and winter, […]
[…] putting them away for the fall, I’m looking forward to busting out my white GREATS Brand Wilson sneakers, and I’ll also be bringing along my navy Rosen runners from the brand. Heck, I might even […]
[…] But as with all great trips, the journey home has to start sometime. We had the chance to pick up some locally-famous donuts from Bennett’s Fresh Roast on Sunday morning– once again, this place is a must-visit if ever you find yourself in the Fort Myers area. We finished off that leg of the trip by taking in the last of the nearby ocean views. With walking in the itinerary, I grabbed a comfortable Tommy John Ringer Pocket Tee in Heather Grey, which fits slim and is crafted from remarkably soft fabric. I topped off the look with a vintage ballcap from Goorin Brothers – although the option you see here is sold-out, a stylish, minimal cap never goes wrong when traveling, nor do versatile captoe sneakers. […]
[…] JACHS NY is another brand that’s been gaining a bit of steam on social media as of late, and they always do a nice job with standout seasonal releases — particularly shirting. Spring is all about shedding layers and lightening things up in terms of color and texture, so this shirt definitely keeps things headed in that direction. The addition of stripes to this light blue chambray buttondown is another solid design touch — it adds a bit of workwear edge to a piece that should work quite well with khaki chinos and white captoe sneakers. […]
[…] consistently churns out excellent sneakers for more-than-fair prices given the quality and construction built into them, and the Pronto in […]
[…] a great casual wingtip thanks to the contrast stitching and ever-so-slightly roughed-up leather. Classic white sneakers could work here, […]
[…] expensive, and it would be a great change of pace when worn with lightwash jeans or tan chinos and white sneakers on weekend […]
[…] broken-in tee. That quality gives it the styling potential to be paired with everything from white sneakers and lightwash denim to an unconstructed blazer and slim tan chinos (a favorite combination of your […]
[…] too casual, you could definitely swap them out for a pair of refined wingtips. Conversely, the GREATS Wilson would definitely be suitable […]
[…] site, this gingham pattern pairs easily with more standard style staples, like slim tan chinos and classic white sneakers. Be prepared to pay more for this piece, but know that (at least in this writer’s […]
[…] here, especially classic white sneakers that can get a bit beat up without costing a fortune (the GREATS Wilson could also be an option […]
[…] throwing on everything from leather loafers to crisp boat shoes (as featured here) to low-cut white sneakers, a good pair of socks are an absolute must — no bones about it. And ones that keep your look […]
[…] we’re back at it again on The Style Guide with a pair of classic white sneakers, just as we covered off a few weeks ago. But there’s something different about the GREATS […]
[…] — you can’t beat that combo for the price. Brooklyn’s own GREATS has long been a Style Guide favorite for their premium approach to footwear that’s equally inspired by sports and tailored style. […]