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There's beauty in the bulk. Luxury Shoes Men
Dad shoes: Bill Clinton in the first term of his presidency, running in short-shorts, a graphic tee, and either a pair of Asics or New Balance sneakers is what first comes to mind when I hear that phrase. Second is Balenciaga’s Triple S sneaker, which was introduced in 2017, when "dad shoes" entered my vernacular.
All men who were fathers in the '80s and early '90s, supposedly, wore the same kind of shoe: a performance sneaker that focused on comfort and stability, featured a whole mess of paneling, and had a chunky, clunky, rather unsightly silhouette. A dad shoe is an ugly shoe, so I’ve gathered. The kids nowadays may not think so—because the kind of bulky style popularized by the Triple S and everything Yeezy is now de rigeur—but I grew up at a time when it just wasn’t cool to wear a style from New Balance (the OG), Asics, Fila, or anything favored by an off-duty politician in the '90s. My sneaker trajectory: pure white Nike Air Force 1s in middle school, a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths in high school and college, and Common Projects Achilles or white leather Prada sneakers in my 20s. All these styles are sleek and unfussy; they are mostly unadorned. That was my sneaker MO.
Now, I pretty much live in boots and loafers. But on the rare occasion that I do wear sneakers, it’s a chunky, clunky, attention-grabbing pair from Hoka One One. I’ve succumbed to dad shoes even though I'm currently childless, and I don’t feel bad about it. I've found beauty in the bulk. And if you, too, want to join in, snag a pair from the list below.
Dad's are king of the household—aka, a monarch. Nike hits the nail on the head yet again,
New Balance never went away, but it did have a comeback of sorts a few years ago. The brand became cool again, garnering the same kind of fanfare that it received in 1982, when its 990, the dad shoe to end all dad shoes, was released.
Inspired by nature and made of advanced technology, Asics's Gel-Kayano was grounding breaking when it was released in 1993. Now, several decades later, the style still holds up.
In the world of dad shoes, Reebok's Club C holds court. It's been around since 1985, and continues to reign supreme.
The Three Stripes had a hit when it introduced the Ozweego—a futuristic, lightweight, cushioned running shoe—two years before the new millennium.
New Balance is so synonymous with dad shoes that it deserves two slots on this list, especially for the 993, a shoe made famous by Steve Jobs.
These Pumas have everything the quintessential dad shoe requires: a not-quite sleek silhouette, some random (but bright!) colors, and a really thick rubber sole.
Yeah, I know. We're bringing it back to the '90s and '00s with this old-school staple: Skechers. Somewhere along the way, these guys lost their cool factor and became the dad shoe brand, but now that dad shoes are cool, guess who's back on top?
Golden Goose crafted a sneaker specifically in that paternal style we've been talking your ear off about. If you're gonna dive into the world of dad shoes, might as well dive into the deep end of a rich dad's just-cleaned Hamptons swimming pool.
Haven't you heard that shiny sneakers are back? Well, your dad sure has.
The exact kind of shoe that my dad would wear on a begrudging run to the grocery store on behalf of my mother, who is in dire and urgent need of olive oil, or something like that.
Feel free to wear these with whatever you want, but to really lean into the dad vibe, pair with basketball shorts or bootcut jeans from Costco.
With its unmatched stability, comfort, and form, it's no wonder the Clifton 9 is a favorite around these parts.
A dad shoe if the dad in question is Logan Roy. (But, really—something about a plain, minimalist gray shoe that screams comfort is so dad shoe.)
Here's a rhapsody in blue (and green and white) that's shock-absorbing, comfortable, good-looking, and all that jazz.
The Disruptor is a dad shoe so smooth, so commanding in presence that it didn't just inspire one '80s bop, but two.
Balenciaga pretty much kicked off the dad-shoe craze in high-fashion circles when it introduced the Triple S, a blockbuster design that has many sneakerheads searching far and wide for elusive colorways.
Ye is a musician, fashion designer, and lighting rod for controversy. That's what gets most of the attention. But what many may forget is that the man is a doting father of four. He definitely knows how to rock—and create—a dad shoe.
Gucci's Rhyton is a dad shoe with some serious high-fashion drip.
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Trishna Rikhy is the Associate Style Commerce Editor at Esquire. Previously, her writing has appeared in Vogue Runway, PAPER Magazine, V Magazine, V MAN, and more. She is based in NYC, but can probably be found wherever the strongest cup of coffee is.
Man Wedding Shoes Barry Samaha is the former style commerce editor at Esquire, where he covered all things fashion and grooming. Previously, he was an editor at Harper’s Bazaar, Surface, and WWD, along with overseeing editorial content at Tod’s Group. He has also written for The Daily Beast, Coveteur, Departures, Paper, Bustle Group, Forbes, and many more. He is based in New York City and can't seem to find enough closet space for all his shoes.