Their lighter construction and canvas upper means they’re well suited for brighter days. Wear them with chinos and cream-colored socks: As a general rule, we’d advise against showing your ankles at work – it can veer a little too ‘beach bar’.
Best for Smarter Offices: Axel Arigato Clean 90 Sneakers
If your office skews on the more conservative side, but you think you can still get away with sneakers, it’s best to look for minimal, dark, non-shouty styles that will help you fly smoothly under the sartorial radar. For that, look towards the Swedish sneaker brand Axel Arigato, who bring a typically Scandinavian sense of restraint towards everything they make. For a fully leather sneaker, they also come in at a pretty great price.
The brand’s Clean 90 shape – so named for the precise 90° angle of its toe cap – would look smart with a pair of tailored trousers or black jeans. Plus, its sturdy sole unit means it’ll work equally well with looser or slimmer silhouettes.
Best for Casual Offices: Asics Skyhand OG Sneakers
Thanks to the creative involvement of designer Kiko Kostadinov, Asics has reasserted itself as the thinking man’s sneaker. The Skyhand, a 90s athletic sneaker—its name comes from its original purpose, as a style for use by handball teams—was re-released by the brand last year, and chimes perfectly with the retro-inspired styles that are currently dominating the sneaker market.
All of which is to say that it’s the perfect choice to flex your style credentials among your colleagues. Its sportier styling means it’s better suited for more relaxed work environments – not least because it’ll pair best with roomier, more oversized silhouettes. If that’s the vibe in your office, wear these, and brace yourself for compliments.
Best for Summer: Adidas Samba OG Sneakers
Three years after critics speculated that it was about to hit its peak, the Adidas Samba hasn’t gone anywhere – in fact, it’s proven to be the indomitable sneaker style of the decade. And for good reason: thanks to its 70s-meets-90s aesthetic and understated design, it’s hard to find anything that it doesn’t look good with, from turned-up jeans to unstructured suits. Let sneaker nerds complain that these are oversaturated. They’re here to stay.
This version, in a woven mesh, is a perfectly breezy summer sneaker, but still feels elevated enough to be workplace friendly, thanks to the suede toe cap and leather trims. If your workplace dress code skews more casual, lean into their retro styling – these would look great worn with shades of brown.
Best Designer: Maison Margiela Replica Low Top Sneaker
Of course, if you’re looking for the dialed-up, ultra-premium, platonic ideal of the GAT shape, you should turn to the Maison Margiela Replica. First introduced in 1999, it was originally made as part of the brand’s replicas of notable vintage garments. Since then, it’s found its way into the working wardrobes of stylish men everywhere.
It smartly streamlines the original shape, making for a sleeker silhouette. These come in almost every permutation of colour, fabric, and finish, but our money is on the classic black leather: the suede panels on the upper are enough to be recognizable without the need for a hefty logo. Almost thirty years in, these show little sign of losing their place as one of the original and best designer sneakers.
Best Weather-Proof: Adidas Samba Shell Sneakers
A pretty good rule of thumb for making something look cooler is to make it out of shell fabric. After all, brands like Prada have built entire business empires from it. Here, the classic adidas Samba gets smartened up and made more office friendly thanks to its dark grey shell upper.The added bonus? It means these are much less likely to mark or take on water damage, which is the instant killer for work-friendly sneakers. So for spring, fall, or any time you’re likely to get caught in inclement weather, these are a safer bet.
