By Bryan Goh - published
If the LBD is the bedrock of a woman’s wardrobe, and a good bag gets treated like the crown jewel, then the white sneaker is the practical miracle nobody remembers to praise. For those not in step, it’s the go-to editor shoe for days when comfort is required, or when something polished needs to be brought down a peg without looking too casual. It’s also what we reach for when an outfit refuses to come together, which happens more often than us fashion people will admit.
There’s a style for everyone now, from rugged kicks to trainers made to look like ballet slippers, but the best white sneakers look just as good fresh out of the box as they do once they start to look lived in. These are the pairs we’ll be sporting all season, and yes, for many more to come.
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The Best White Sneakers, From $20
1. Classic track shoes, $18.89, Feiyue at LazMall
Sizes: EU 34 to 43
Material: Canvas
Reviewers say: “They’re super comfortable and way more worth it than my cross-training shoes.”
Once worn by Shaolin monks, Feiyue seems to be finding its way back through Gen Z’s appetite for heritage labels. Lightweight and unbothered, it has the kind of retro appeal that works better when worn slightly plain.
2. Vulcanised lowbasket sneakers, $64.38, Moonstar at Amazon
Sizes: EU 36 to 46
Material: Canvas
Reviewers say: “Fits as per my usual sizing. High-quality craftsmanship and finishing as you would expect from a handmade product.”
Made in Japan using a vulcanisation method preserved by a small factory, each pair of Moonstar sneakers has a soft sole and minimalist shape that makes “simple” feel like a choice rather than a lack of imagination.
3. Mesh lace-up sneaker mules, $65.90, Charles & Keith
Sizes: EU 35 to 41
Material: PU Leather
A sneaker mule that understands the modern condition: we want the look of laces, but also a shoe with an open back that makes them easy to slip into when the morning has already asked enough of us.
4. Contrasting panel leather sneakers, $89.90, Mango
Sizes: EU 35 to 42
Material: Calf leather
We sometimes like a pair of white sneakers that gives the eye somewhere to travel, and the contrasting panel on these breaks up the surface to give an otherwise clean bullet shape a bit of texture and warmth.
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5. Trainers, $139.90, H&M
Sizes: EU 35 to 41
Material: Suede blend
Some white trainers look as if they were designed to disappear entirely, which is useful until it becomes boring. The colour-blocking does all the work on these: present enough to read ‘fashion’, restrained enough not to become the loudest thing below your ankles.
6. Trainers, $160.99, Merrell at ASOS
Sizes: EU 36 to 43
Material: Leather
A Mary Jane sneaker with Gore-Tex sounds like a contradiction until you remember that wet weather exists. This hybrid keeps it convincing by keeping the shape familiar, while letting the waterproofing, cushioning, and grippy sole handle the less glamorous business.
7. Shox Z sneakers, $209, Nike
Sizes: EU 35 to 43
Material: Mesh and PU leather
Some sneakers nod politely to the past, but not the Shox, which arrive with a new look. The Shox Z slices the familiar column sole into something sleeker, giving it that retro-runner energy without dragging your whole outfit back to the 2000s.
8. Medalist low sneakers, $255, Autry at Net-A-Porter
Sizes: EU 35 to 42
Material: Suede and leather
Here’s a brand that understands that some white sneakers look better once they’ve stopped acting brand new. The Medalist has that old-school court-shoe quality that takes daily wear well, which is exactly what you want from a sneaker that claims its trait is timeless.
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9. Combined retro sneakers, $269, Desigual
Sizes: EU 36 to 41
Material: Leather
You didn’t expect Desigual to make the same ol’ quiet and snooze-y white sneaker, did you? The mixed materials and bead-detailed laces on this pair is for anyone ready to dip their feet into more interesting shoes.
10. Trail sneakers, $405, Alo
Sizes: EU 35 to 51 (yes, you read that right: they go up to a size 51)
Material: Nylon
Alo calls this a trail sneaker, though most people buying it are probably conquering city pavements rather than actual terrain—courtesy of a water-resistant upper, speed-lacing system, and oversized traction sole.
11. Tess knotted leather sneakers, $495, Odissi at Farfetch
Sizes: EU 37 to 40
Material: Nappa leather
This is what happens when a ballerina flat finally develops a harder-edged sole—a knotted Nappa leather upper keeps things soft, but its rounded sneaker silhouette makes it much easier to wear with, well, anything.
12. Eric original sole low-top sneakers, $570, Mihara Yasuhiro at Club21
Sizes: EU 36 to 44
Material: Canvas
The white canvas upper on these sneakers keeps things familiar, while Mihara Yasuhiro’s deconstructed base gives them the sort of youthful charm people either immediately get or spend too long asking about.
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13. Ballerina slippers, $632, Sandy Liang at SSENSE
Sizes: EU 36 to 42
Material: Leather
Sandy Liang has the uncanny power of making the girliest things look slightly off-kilter and super cool, and these lace-up ballerina sneakers with a rubber outsole sit somewhere between dance class and downtown uniform.
14. Bryce sneaker, $687.07, Isabel Marant at Revolve
Sizes: EU 36 to 41
Material: Leather
The Bryce sneaker promises a cushy experience thanks to its supple leather, and the gum sole gives it that signature Isabel Marant effortlessness that’s best with denim, and even better if the rest of your outfit isn’t trying too hard.