The hype surrounding minimalist sneakers Common Projects hasn’t entirely died down yet, but it’s completely understandable why people are clutching on tight to these classic leather low top sneakers. The Achilles sneakers are stamped with that coveted ‘Made in Italy’ and with its sleek and minimalist design, promises to be constructed with top-quality materials. The only noticeable design outlier is their signature ten gold numbers printed on the side – representing the sneaker’s number, size, and colour. But of course, these can be easily rubbed off if desired.
In styling these sneakers, everything goes. From your weekend mom jeans and favourite worn-in tee to your dressy pencil skirt, Common Projects is the go-to white sneaker for many to pair with their everyday outfits.
That’s not to say that there are countless other sneaker labels that can become your new go-to minimalist sneaker.
Eytys
Their unusual spelling of ‘80s’ with the name Eytys smartly references Generation Y, as a tribute to the creative contributions of the post-internet generation across different platforms. Starting as a humble Swedish brand, Eytys has grown to become a global cult favourite. ‘Mother’, their unisex platform sneaker, is their first foray into footwear and is also the most recognisable. ‘Mother’ comes in a range of colours from magenta to your standard black, and materials used include leather, suede, and canvas.
In response to the trend of hyped sneakers, such as the Yeezys or NMDs, Eytys designed their sneakers to be long-lasting – something you can keep and wear for life. They also have a pair of white leather sneakers, known as the Eytys classic, with vulcanised rubber soles and comfortable cork insoles.
A great alternative to Common Projects for its simple but considerate design. You can find Eytys at www.eytys.com, starting from $USD160 for the ‘Mother’ in Canvas.
THEY New York
As a handcrafted luxury label based in New York, THEY wants you to have the best of the sneaker world – an elegant design that is both simple and versatile. The design intends to celebrate design itself, with the three founders (combined, they draw over 30 years of family expertise with Japanese footwear!) regarding the shoe as a blank canvas.
And indeed, THEY’s sneakers all feature a geometric shape that is embedded within the structure. Whether a triangle, semi-circle or rectangle, all sneakers come in a distinctive two-tone silhouette that plays with the muted earthy colours of white, off-white, beige, grey, and navy. They’ve also recently branched out into a canvas series for hot summer days.
You can find THEY New York at www.theynewyork.com, starting from $USD359 for a pair of sneakers from their Core Collection.
Filling Pieces
While still minimal in its design, Filling Pieces does comparatively have a more complex silhouette across their different sneaker models. Their ‘Low Top’ was the first shoe designed by founder and designer Guillaume Philibert in Amsterdam, built with minimal and clean uppers.
In experimenting with various textures and materials, their collection includes the coveted minimalist sneaker but also many other less traditional high-end sneakers.
The brand’s since delved into ‘less minimal, more details’ with designs like the ‘Low Marina Bogor’ which has technical detailing like lacelock and lace hooks, along with nylon webbing up the tongue. Filling pieces hails from Amsterdam, with all shoes handmade in Portugal using top-quality Italian materials. Their sneakers are inspired by the styles from all over the world, and you can see their influence embedded within their clean but unique designs.
You can find Filling Pieces at www.fillingpieces.com, starting from €190 for the Low Top and €240 for the Low Marina Bogor.
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