The best white sneakers overall
The sneaker now known as the Stan Smith dates back to the early 1960s, when Adidas designed a shoe for French tennis player Robert Haillet. It wasn't until Haillet's retirement in 1971 that the sneaker took on the name and likeness of then-number one ranked tennis star Stan Smith.
In its more than 55 years of production (48 years officially as the Stan Smith), the sneaker has become one of Adidas' best-selling and its single longest lasting styles.
How to style them:
The Adidas Stan Smith can be worn with just about anything and still look great. Whether you'd describe your style as preppy, hipster, street, or anything else, the silhouette will pair well with your favorite jeans, chinos, or shorts. And if your sense of style is non-existent and you just need a versatile pair of sneakers, it'll work for you, too.
While the green-accented pair is our top pick because it's true to the original design, you can find red-accented, blue-accented, and all-white pairs, too.
How to clean them:
Most white sneakers need to stay clean to look good, but the Stan Smith is the exception to the rule. No matter if they're fresh out the box or a little bit tired and tattered, they'll always be a respectable choice.
For those who would like to keep them clean, it's super easy. Anything from the old-school towel and toothbrush method to an effective cleaner like Jason Markk or Crep Protect will work on the smooth leather upper and rubber sole.
Pros: Full grain leather upper, easy to care for, affordable price, available in all sizes ranging from infants' to men's.
Cons: Not great for performance.
Buy the Stan Smith at Adidas for $80The best classic white sneakers
In 1982, Nike debuted the Air Force 1 as its premier basketball sneaker. The high-top silhouette featured everything players of the time could ask for — a leather upper, Air units in the soles, breathability (those toe box perforations were state-of-the-art at the time!), and plenty of support with the added ankle straps.
By 1983, Nike had discontinued the silhouette in preparation for a new sneaker before realizing it was a massive hit in cities like New York and Baltimore — and customers were not happy about its disappearance from shelves. After many customer complaints, a group of store owners from the Baltimore area flew to Nike headquarters in Oregon to pitch directly to Nike CEO Phil Knight on the Air Force 1's return.
The following year, Nike started a "Color of the Month" series, where a new color would be released every month in select stores, which snowballed into the thousands of colors, themes, patterns, and artist collaborations that make up the Air Force 1 catalog today. Ironically, the all-white color is still the most popular version you can buy.
How to style them:
The best part about the Nike Air Force 1 is that it's available in three cuts: the original high top, low, and mid. While they're all distinctly sporty, the technology is outdated by today's performance standards. You can put them on and not look like you're dressed for a game of pickup basketball. I personally own each pair and have worn them with jeans, shorts, and joggers, but the low top is definitely the most casual. For some people, the mids and highs might be bulky for pulling off a laid back look. Choose which cut suits you best or buy them all — it's entirely up to you.
How to clean them:
Compared all of the super exclusive, collectible, and expensive Air Force 1s that have released over the years, white-on-white Air Force 1 are a dime a dozen, so you better make sure they're clean in order to stand out. The sentiment of keeping them clean is felt so strongly by some, to the point where certain filthy rich folks such as producer, rapper, and businessman Dr. Dre will lace up a brand new pair every single time he wears the silhouette. Since you probably don't have a billion dollars to burn through, you can keep single pair fresh with a few steps.
First, you'll want to buy Force Fields. They're little foam inserts that go inside of your shoes to help prevent creases. Without them, you will quickly crease the toe-box of the Air Force 1.
Next, you'll want a cleaning solution like Jason Markk or Crep Protect. Since the shoes are made of a leather upper and rubber outsole, you can really go to town cleaning without worrying about messing up a delicate suede or knit material.
Pros: Available in low, mid, and high, will never go out of style, Air unit insole for comfort, plenty of variety if you want white with an accent color.
Cons: Looks best when kept perfectly clean.
Buy the Air Force 1 at Nike here: Low for $90 | Mid for $95 | High for $100The best white sneakers for running
I hate to use the phrase "disrupt the space" when writing about products, but that's exactly what Adidas did when the Ultra Boost launched in 2015. The sneaker featured the company's revolutionary new material called Boost. Unlike any other cushioning system ever made, Boost was made up of a bunch of tiny foam pellets that were blown up and fused together. Designed for runners, the cloud-like material was intended to return energy to the wearer's feet. It proved to be a success for runners, but it quickly became a hit with general comfort seekers and streetwear enthusiasts.
Four years later, the Ultra Boost is still going strong with an updated model for 2019, as well as cageless, laceless, and all-terrain versions. The release of the Ultra Boost sent many sportswear companies into a frenzy to come up with new cushion technology — and many of them are still playing catch-up. See all Ultra Boost variations at Adidas here.
How to style them:
The Ultra Boost is a running shoe at heart, so you can wear them with all of your favorite activewear. Shorts, joggers, and even those skin-tight compression pants are all fair game. When dressing casually, I find that skinny or slim jeans work best. Big pant legs will cover a majority of the shoes, which looks a bit awkward.
How to clean them:
The Primeknit upper and Boost midsole can be hard to clean, so rather than cleaning them, you'll want to prevent them from getting dirty in the first place. I recommending using Crep Protect's Rain and Stain spray or something similar. If you do have to clean your Ultra Boosts with a solution, be gentle. Since they are knit, hard scrubbing can tatter the material.
Pros: Lightweight and breathable upper, super comfortable, serves as a great casual sneaker.
Cons: Materials (Primeknit and Boost) can be hard to clean.
Buy the Ultra Boost at Adidas for $180The best white sneakers made of canvas
As simple as the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star is, it was once a premier basketball sneaker. While footwear technology has pushed the Chuck Taylor far beyond the point of being obsolete on the court, it's solidified as a sneaker of the people. No matter if you're young or old, rich or poor, chances are you've owned a pair (or two or three) at some point in your life.
If you're shopping for a pair of canvas sneakers, the Converse Chuck Taylor really should be your top choice — and if for some reason it's not, the shoe you do pick was probably inspired by it.
How to style them:
The best way to answer this is that you don't style them; Chuck Taylors are the style. Available in low-top and high-top, all you have to do is pick which one you like best and put them on. Babies look good in Converse, kids look good in Converse, and adults of all ages look good in Converse — whether with shorts and a T-shirt or a tailored suit. I personally prefer the high-top version because it features the iconic All-Star logo on the medial sides of the shoes.
How to clean them:
Once you take the laces out, you can use just about any method to clean. I would suggest cleaning them with Jason Markk, Crep Protect, or if they're very dirty, throw them in the washing machine.
Pros: Timeless design, available in low-top and high-top, affordably priced, easy to clean.
Cons: Minimal arch and ankle support, not good in the rain.
Buy the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Star at Nike here: Low for $50 | High for $55The best luxury white sneakers
While many of the best sneakers stand atop a brand legacy and identity, the Common Projects Achilles Low is just a simple style from a small luxury brand that's all about quality. Rather than running them into the ground and replacing them as you would with a pair of Converse, the premise here is that you buy one pair, take good care of them, and they'll last a really long time.
The shoes feature a premium full-grain leather upper, leather sock liners, and rubber outsoles. You won't find any brand names or logos printed the outside of the shoe — just the style number printed on the lateral heel in metallic gold flake. They're definitely recognizable for in-the-know fashion fans, but not so trendy that they'll seem like overkill to everyone else.
How to style them:
If you've got more than $400 to spend on sneakers, but want to stay away from flashy bumble bee-emblazoned Gucci and paint-splattered Margiela sneakers, this is a good choice for you. Its subtle design makes it a solid choice for fashion-forward minimalists. Pair it with all of your favorite everyday basics like fresh Selvedge denim and solid tees. You can even pull these off with a suit or some nice dress pants if the dress code isn't too formal.
Pros: Made in Italy using premium leather, built to last
Cons: Very similar aesthetically to more affordable options
Buy the Common Projects Achilles Low at Neiman Marcus for $410The best luxury-on-a-budget white sneakers
Not everyone can or wants to spend $400 on premium white sneakers, and Greats understands that. Founded in 2014 by Ryan Babenzien and footwear designer Jon Buscemi in Brooklyn, Greats is intended to fill the void in between cheap, almost replenishable footwear and more expensive luxury options your wallet can only afford once.
With a striking resemblance to the Common Projects Achilles Low, the Greats Royale is also clean and simple sneaker design — and truth be told, it's made in the exact same factory. That's right, this $179 premium Italian leather dress shoe is made in the same place as our luxury pick — and you can thank the brand's direct-to-consumer business model for that.
Rather than the high retail markup associated with designer brands, Greats delivers luxury-grade quality at a more affordable price.
How to wear them:
If you don't particularly care about impressing the fashion fans of the world and just want a good-looking minimal sneaker, this is it. You can wear them with just about anything in your closet, and since they're made of very high-quality materials, you can wear them a lot without immediate signs of wear.
How to clean them:
Any shoe cleaner will do. The smooth leather upper and rubber sole make cleaning them easy.
Pros: Made in Italy with premium full-grain leather, more affordable than expensive pairs with a similar style
Cons: Lesser-known, slightly less minimalist with seaming on the midfoot
Buy the Royal Blanco at Greats for $179The best white sneakers for comfort
Founded in 2015 by New Zealand native Tim Brown and San Francisco-based engineer and renewables expert Joey Zwillinger, Allbirds is a newcomer to the footwear industry, but its sustainable approach to design has catapulted it to great popularity.
The brand's first and most popular sneaker, the Wool Runners, is made out of ethically and sustainably sourced merino wool. Not only is the material one that socially conscious buyers can stand behind, but it also lends itself well to quality footwear. Merino wool is naturally temperature regulating, moisture wicking, anti-microbial, odor resistant, and last but not least, comfortable.
Unlike thick leather sneakers that can be bulky and hard to break in or thin canvas shoes with no support, Allbirds provide a fit that's comfortable straight out of the box. It's almost like wearing your favorite house slippers.
How to wear them:
I have nothing against the way Allbirds look, but I wouldn't say they're the pick for someone with fashion at the top of their priority list — and that's perfectly fine, because sometimes comfort is the first priority. Whether you have to roll out of bed and quickly get dressed, you're preparing for a super long flight with all of your best travel gear, or you're dressing for a casual day of running errands, the Allbirds Wool Runners are the pair your tired feet will be grateful for.
How to clean them:
The Allbirds Wool Runners are machine washable, which makes them one of the easiest shoes to clean on the list. However, if they're not really dirty, I would suggest delicately spot-cleaning them so you don't wear out the wool.
Pros: Comfortable, lightweight, breathable, naturally odor resistant, machine washable, great for traveling, sustainably made
Cons: Not available in half sizes
Buy the Wool Runners at Allbirds for $95The best slip-on white sneakers
Originally released in 1977 as Vans #98, the Vans Slip-On started out as a cult-favorite among skateboarders and BMX bikers, but quickly spread across Southern California — and later to the rest of the world.
The low-top silhouette features a canvas upper, padded insoles and ankle collars, vulcanized outsoles, and as the name suggests, a slip-on fit. Collectively, the design is durable, flexible, and shock absorbing, which met all the needs of skaters at the time. More than 40 years later, many people (skaters included) still faithfully wear the Vans Slip-Ons, but it's largely due to the style and not the now-outdated performance.
How to wear them:
If you don't want to deal with intricate lacing systems or ankle straps, choosing this slip-on design is a no-brainer. It's an extremely casual style that works well in warm weather, hence it's popularity in Southern California.
Since the silhouette is very low cut, you'll want to wear no-show socks (or, if you're going for the skater look, high athletic socks). As far as apparel goes, you can wear them with shorts, T-shirts, chinos, and all of your other spring and summer favorites.
How to clean them:
Being made of canvas and rubber, you can clean the Vans Slip-On using just about any method. Anything from a toothbrush and soap to machine washing them will work.
Pros: Easy to put on and take off, padded collar for comfort, great for warm weather
Cons: Minimal arch support, may not fit as securely as shoes with laces
Buy the Vans Slip-Ons at Zappos for $49.95
