Tag / men’s spring sneakers

by Beau H.

Style Pick of the Week: Todd Snyder x P.F. Flyers Rambler Sneakers

Editor’s note: Expect these posts weekly detailing one standout item coveted by yours truly. Sometimes, these fit within budgetary restrictions and other times, they’re expensive splurges worth saving for. For more Wish List items from Beau, head here, and to see other Style Picks, head here.

A great new sneaker release from a much anticipated spring collaboration.

A great new sneaker release from a much anticipated spring collaboration.

Perhaps it’s the recent influx of sunshine (however brief and chilly) here in NYC, or maybe it’s a sudden flurry of new spring arrivals hitting many a Web site, but I’ve definitely been doing some seasonal “planning-ahead” as far as #menswear goes. Do you find yourself in the same boat? With that being said, the forecast still calls for more chilly weather. Even still, the latest iteration of the ongoing Todd Snyder x P.F. Flyers collaboration is absolutely a winner, and it takes the cake as this week’s Style Pick of the Week —  particularly the Nubuck Rambler Low as seen here. A great pair of crisp, clean and classically inspired white sneakers is a style essential nearly all year-round — even into the chillier days of fall. And although the Nubuck Rambler Low is a spring release, it’s a pair of sneakers you could match up with all kinds of outfits through the spring, summer and on into Labor Day. They incorporate all the elements you’d expect in a great pair of white sneakers, with a few added touches.

A slim toe shape and the captoe detailing make these suitably dressy for pairing with a blazer this spring.

A slim toe shape and the captoe detailing make these suitably dressy for pairing with a blazer this spring.

For one, the contrasting gum sole is a welcome design elements that’s popped up on lots of sneakers as of late. The captoe detailing and open-lace stitching are also nice touches that make these the ideal dressy or casual sneaker. They’d be the perfect pairing with some olive chinos and a navy polo when it gets warm out, and they’d even work now with slim dark denim and a navy bomber for a welcome shot of contrasting color. Plus, these guys would go great with an unconstructed blazer and lightwash jeans for a great Casual Friday look (the Perforated Rambler High would also work in this regard, but spring seems better suited for low-tops anyways). The Todd Snyder logo at the nylon heel tab is a cool touch that lets you know the type of designer quality you’re getting, as well. On that note, for a name brand collaboration like this, the price isn’t terrible, particularly when you consider that you can rock ’em more like dress shoes than sneakers. And the construction should definitely be solid — P.F. Flyers has decades of experience doing that.  It’s also part of a welcome series of collabs the lauded American designer has launched in recent years — look for some great new footwear on the dressier side of things from Todd Snyder’s partnership with Cole Haan later this spring. For now though, it’s sneaker time. Sadly, warm weather is likely a ways off for most of us. But hey, a guy can dream of spring, and these sneakers, and a spring style wish list … right?

Until Monday,

-Beau

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by Beau H.

The Product Review: GREATS Brand Wilson Sneakers

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.

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 right out of the box.

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.

Not a ton of branding on these sneakers other than the blue-and-white "G" logo on the heel.

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.

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.

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?