Beautiful handcrafted Italian-made sneakers at a reasonable price, The Royale from Greats is our overall favorite.
Greats is a Brooklyn-based direct-to-consumer brand launched in 2014 with the idea of disrupting the luxury sneaker market, a goal they're managing to achieve. The Royale, their best-selling style, is handcrafted in Italy's Le Marche region, which is famous for its shoemaking tradition. The sneakers are made from full-grain Italian leather with a molded footbed and waxed cotton laces.
The Royale is the most accessibly-priced luxury sneaker from Italy in the world, according to Greats CEO Ryan Babenzien. "We have been able to democratize luxury so a broader audience can buy a sneaker of this quality made in Italy that was previously unattainable," Babenzien told me in an email.
The sneakers have a minimalist aesthetic and come in seven color combinations. The all-white version — the Blanco — and the one in black — the Nero — are the company's biggest sellers. They also make a stunning chocolate-brown version and also regularly drop limited editions.
The Royale not only looks great but are exceedingly comfortable straight from the box. The entire upper, inside, and tongue are made of a soft buttery full-grain leather. The footbed and outsole provide good support while still being comfortable and responsive. They have a generously padded heel and tongue for added comfort. Some of the reviews said these sneakers ran slightly large, by a half-size, but I found mine fit true to size.
I haven't had my pair long enough to speak of how they hold up over time, but a commenter on Reddit claimed his two pairs of Royales still looked great and have "held up extremely well" after three years and several hundred uses, with the leather becoming softer over time. The Royale has received numerous positive reviews from the media as well.
The company is also attempting to tackle sustainability issues. The Royale is made with 25% reclaimed rubber in the soles; the insoles also use reclaimed materials. Greats also has a knit version of the Royale made from a combination of 100% recycled single-use plastic and ocean plastic. The biggest news may be that next year the company is introducing a Royale made from 100% recycled leather using an innovative Japanese process, according to Babenzien. Greats doesn't use any plastic packaging and their shoe boxes are made from recycled cardboard. There's also the sustainability aspect of creating a high-quality and timeless sneaker that isn't going to get thrown out like a cheaply made pair of fast-fashion shoes. Greats also only works with factories that treat their employees fairly and ethically, according to Babenzien.
"The goal is to continue to make the best footwear we can while limiting our impact on the earth as much as we can," he said.
Pros: High quality, handsome sneakers made by an ethical, sustainably-minded company
Cons: A high price but worth it for all the reasons listed above