Armani, the privately-owned Italian luxury fashion house founded by Giorgio Armani in 1975, gained one point to rank number seven on our list of the best luxury brands. The brand's classic oxfords are the perfect addition to your footwear collection—very comfy (after you break 'em in) and extremely reliable. It helps that it's really the only part of the shoe that's bold; the rest of it is kept to a solid base color, minimal detailing, and only small pops of color. The sneakers rival designer dress shoes in terms of both sophistication and wearability. The look: The Gucci sneaker look is hard to mistake for anything else. That is, of course, until you get a closer look at them. This alternative silhouette showcases more practical properties, with a memory sole and comfortable shock-absorbing technology. It's fashion in the age of Instagram. Sneaker 3 on the other hand fits more in-line with the brand’s traditional aesthetic, giving a low-top trainer shape brogue detailing in regal colourways. The look: Lanvin's signature cap-toe sneaker combines the elegance of a formal shoe with the comfort and simple style of a low-top trainer, and it boasts a considerably thicker sole than its competitors for an even more distinctive look. You might not have even known it made its own sneakers, which is an easy mistake to make as it hasn’t been in the casual footwear game for long.

The Achilles has become a holy grail for recovering Jordan-fiends as much as it has for aspiring fashion nerds. The look: Balenciaga's two signature sneakers are the hiking boot-like Arena, with D-ring eyelets all the way to the top, and the Pleated High-Top, with its telltale horizontal panels on the upper. Sturdy, lasting, and affordable, Clarks footwear is a wardrobe staple for a reason. You're really getting the best perspectives (and access) possible. Yes, including you. Sneakers are the hottest trend in mens shoes at the moment, here are the top 25 luxury sneaker brands that you need to know. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor. This isn’t the only avant-garde style the brand has though, as they’ve also jumped on the sock-meets-shoe hype with the Speed trainer. Then try out its hi-tops adorned with block panelling, born to be paired with your favourite leather jacket and black jeans. The look: Swedish sneaker company Spalwart makes a bunch of different shapes, but by far its most popular is the track-inspired Marathon Trail. It is a scientific fact that footwear choices make or break any outfit. Loake makes affordable footwear fit for a prince. The look: Koio makes a completely minimalist sneaker, and it does it well. These beautiful olive suede desert boots are versatile and durable, but also just the right amount of fun. Yamamoto's Qasa silhouette has become an integral part of Adidas' newfound fashion relevance, and when an early sketch was turned into the more democratically priced Adidas Tubular models, his design prowess trickled to the masses. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, Under Armour's Sportsmask is Back in Stock—For Now, This Watch Is an Homage to a Cult Classic, The Legend of the Pasha de Cartier Is Half the Fun, These Are the Best Watch Deals of Prime Day, Alpina's New Pilot Watch Hits the Sweet Spot, The Timex M79 Automatic Finally Arrives in Black, 12 Shoes to Complete Your Fall Footwear Collection, Benedict Cumberbatch Debuts a New Swiss Watch, These Affordable Sunglasses Look Great on Everyone.

All this is to say, shoes are important. Another footwear industry shocker: Grenson doesn’t just make brogue boots for bearded selvedge denim enthusiasts; it also makes killer sneakers in its own distinct style. The human race has transformed plenty of everyday products into fancy, pointless abominations. These rich brown brogues are a little left-of-center, but still sturdy and classic. /* iOS and Android bug fixes */

Alternatively, there’s the Tarmac line, a smarter quarter-top style made with the same quality suede but with a 100% calf leather lining and arch support with several layers of cushioning.

Shoes are also, in many cases, a lifetime investment—well-made footwear, when treated properly, will last forever. We’re particularly into this waxed suede boot—a timeless, weather-resistant choice with detailing that’ll turn heads.

If you’re in the market for an everyday pair of black leather boots that can be dressed up or down, these will never go out of style.

Meanwhile, brands like Common Projects have been making the case for luxury sneakers for a decade, and have earned a special sort of street cred.

Many of them are colored—reds, greens, and blues, in addition to blacks and browns—and they have a sort of marbled appearance that makes them impossible to replicate. And if you're looking for a start in the designer sneaker space, this is a good place to go. They have the power to elevate even the most basic outfit.

CQP’s (Conversations & Quintessential Products) premium kicks are designed in Sweden, and handmade in Portugal, and certainly fit the bill. You may be able to find more information about this and similar content at piano.io, The 12 Best Knit Blazers to Buy Right Now, DDG Shows Off His Curated Collection of Watches, JSP's Latest Release Is a Love Letter to Philly, The Best Wool Pants To Help You Get Out of Bed, The 15 Best Winter Boots for Less Than $250, My First Pair of Desert Boots Changed Everything, The Coolest New Menswear to Scoop This Week, Callington Museum Leather Tasselled Loafers. Before you pull the trigger on yet another pair, here's a primer on some of the hottest purveyors of high-end kicks. They are a vehicle to communicate personal taste. The brand is known for its two main sneaker constructions—a low-top and a high-top—many of which come in completely tonal designs, or have just a contrasting bottom. Surprise surprise. By now, his designs are ubiquitous; they're a hardcore riff on traditional high-fashion.
Made in Italy, its most popular low-top white Ace sneakers feature either the brand’s iconic bee emblem – introduced in the 1970s – or a snake in the red, green and gold Gucci colourway. Take the boat-shoes-all-year-round guy, for instance—you look down and bang, there he is, wearing his personality on his feet at the party.
10 Shoe Brands That Every Guy Needs to Know. The high-top Margiela Future, with its gigantic leather strap and covered eyelets, has gained a cult following of its own, especially when custom furry pairs of the kicks were made for Kanye West for his Yeezus tour. The hi-top Fast Track is like a runner/hiking boot hybrid, but instead of being chased out like a Frankenstein monstrosity it has been heralded as a modern masterpiece.

Founder of AMI Alexandre Matiussi has worked at Marc Jacobs, Dior and Givenchy, before starting his own streetwear-worshipped brand in Paris in 2011. Nice shoes from Stockholm. Although the embellished low-tops are a classic, the brand has also made waves with its chunky sneakers. A brand immersed in history, with trainers from the future. The comfort is still there, but there's a bunch more going on in the style department. He elevates streetwear by breaking down the "serious" parts of a sneaker. Designers like Gucci and have long embraced the sportier side of footwear, while other labels have only recently joined the party. Tricker’s is another monolith of a shoe brand and will win the player’s player award within the cobbling fraternity every year. Singer Terry Hall wore a pair of moccasins on one of their album covers, and Nakamura took note.) You can totally opt for classic silhouettes and colors, but you can also get a little creative and spring for a patent leather or honey-colored suede to mix it up a bit.

It’s an unusual combination, and for a company nearly a century old Balenciaga is continuing to shock the world with its innovative designs. They are kings of the chunky trainer trend. As they say, shoes are the window to the soul. It’s an 8-week-long process with over 200 individual steps, and it shows—they make both classic and more energetic pairs that last forever.

Looking for more of a statement? Why not splurge on designer kicks that already feel like your favorite pair? The 20 Ugliest Sneakers of the Past 20 Years. The look: Hender Scheme is the brainchild of Ryo Kashiwazaki, a leather artisan who sought to juxtapose classic Japanese "shokunin" craftsmanship with some of his favorite sneaker silhouettes. By Lauren Kranc. But if you’re looking for a fresh white sneaker, Esquire’s collab with Grenson is currently on sale. Its most prominent product is an upscale reinterpretation of a standard-issue German army trainer sneaker, done up in white leather with suede accents and a gum sole. Origins: Founded in 2005 in Australia, based in New York City. This doesn’t mean the British brand is inexperienced, however. So buy good ones, respect them, and wear them well.

Founded by Ant de Padovane, Michael Jonte, and brothers Joshua and Jacob Willis (also the guys behind mesnwear brand Second/Layer), Article No. It's not just about whether or not the shoe fits, but how good it looks on your feed. You can be wearing the coolest, most put-together look in the world, but if the shoes are bad, the whole thing is ruined. The look: The brandthat redefined the jean and the skinny suit has done the same for the luxury sneaker. Producing three styles, each is simply named ‘Sneaker’ followed by a number, Grenson’s takes on the casual footwear staple look extremely polished and smooth. Their Stow Biker boot with the high-shine Iris patina, in particular, was lasciviously worshipped by one work colleague. The look: L.A. is having a bit of a style renaissance, and new-kids-on-the-sneaker-block Article No.

Its flagship products are Italian-made sneakers with the breaking-in done for you. You’ll most likely spot its Racquet collection, low tops commonly featuring a canvas side panel, 100% Italian suede toe and tongue, and waxed cotton laces. Origins: Founded in 1895 by Italian brothers, based in Paris. High street prices with an upmarket design – what more could you want? Expensive sneakers don’t just have to be for self-entitled teenagers using daddy’s credit card; they can also be for the sophisticated gentleman who has a drinks trolley full of rare bourbons in his study. You’ll feel even better about purchasing such extravagant footwear too, as Brunello donates 20% of his profits to charity. The look: Husband and wife Francesca and Alessandro Gallo founded this sneaker brand on a common passion for sneakers and art. The resulting product simultaneously has the appeal of raw denim, hyped sneakers, and benchmade shoes. Luxury water. Think of it as the suave European counterpart to the ratty runners commonly associated with fuddy-duddy dads everywhere.

High-end sneakers may be as ubiquitous as selvedge denim these days, but more variety means it's even harder for the cream to rise to the top. The look: The easiest way to describe Aprix's sneakers are like an elevated take on skate shoes. Well now you can get a pair – albeit of previously unattainable quality – without hundreds of people having worn them first. The look: Filling Pieces is known for the hiking-inspired Mountain Cut mid-top with D-ring eyelets and speed hooks, but designer Guillaume Phillibert has also developed a following for his high-tongued styles that offer an offbeat, minimal appeal. Every product was carefully curated by an Esquire editor.