full grain leather sneaker recommendations
Anyone know of any sneaker models from “mainstream” brands (i.e. Nike, adidas, new balance, onitsuka tiger, ASICS) that are full grain leather? I recently bought a pair of new balance 550’s and found out via the rose anvil video that the leather is essentially suede with plastic on top to make them look like they’re a smooth leather. I’m trying to find something with a similar look but made out of full grain smooth leather. I’ve owned higher quality sneakers from Thursday and Greats but I just don’t like how they look and prefer the look of the more mainstream brands like Nike as opposed to Koio, common projects, crown Northampton etc.
177 Replies
why do you want full grain leather on your sneakers?
I'd just get the sneakers you like the look of, unless you want to stump up for Hender Scheme prices
don’t listen to rose anvil that man has made a career out of misleading people as to what makes a good shoe
just because nikes dont use bulletproof leather or whatever doesn’t mean they’re bad shoes. If you know you like it and will wear it for a long time, then it’s a good shoe
Sneakers aren't a long life product, they aren't truly re-soleable and the added weight of full grain detracts from the benefits of a light weight casual sneaker.
like yes there are benefits to full grain and good year welt and whatever else 30 seconds of googling will tell you but you are not going to feel those benefits if you fundamentally don’t like the shoe itself
I would like full grain leather for many reasons such as
1- the patina looks a lot better on full grain leather as opposed to plastic. 2- leather will form to my foot better than plastic. 3- leather is more durable than plastic. I’m primarily a boot guy that likes to wear Alden’s Allen Edmonds, etc. but it’s just too hot to wear boots in the summer so any recommendations for sneakers with high quality leather would be much appreciated!
I mean, I guess you could look at hender scheme, viberg, palladium, or even Rick owens if you care to that extent
so why not suede?
like, the suede the MiUSA and MiUK New Balances use is genuinely quite nice
I sort of get your first point, but I encourage you to reflect on your thinking for 2 and 3, especially on whether you should generalize a rose anvil video
I’ll look into that, I usually just prefer the look of smooth leather haha
Whose business is driven by making you feel dissatisfied
I mostly just don’t wanna pay for essentially “fake” leather haha
suede nearly always looks better on sneakers IMO.
Buy these : https://www.newbalance.co.uk/pd/new-balance-x-tokyo-design-studio-574/MS574TV1-44357.html
Men's New Balance x Tokyo Design Studio 574 Shoes - New Balance
Get the iconic Men's New Balance x Tokyo Design Studio 574 and enjoy quality that doesn't cut corners. Shop online at New Balance for the best deals.
mere pig suede, not shinki horsehide
I get that, but the video featured one pair of sneakers? New balance has premium lines that use much better materials - Nike does collabs which I would be highly surprised to find are fake leather
Exactly, that’s why I’m asking for recs on sneakers that are made out of real leather. I bought the 550’s not knowing they are made of plastic for like 110$ so I want to find something similar made out of real leather
Margiela GATs?
Im still gonna wear the 550’s bc I like the style, but I’d prefer something of higher quality leather
basically an adidas/puma knock off in nicer materials. Less "minimal sneaker" than Common Projects et al.
https://www.ssense.com/en-us/men/product/maison-margiela/white-and-gray-replica-sneakers/13493411
upper is calfskin, made in italy
For 1: most sneaker brands regardless of quality are going to use finished leather that won't patina (hender scheme might truly be the only patina-prone sneaker) for 2: the sneaker styles you are describing (nike adidas etc) are going to be lined with fabric and have non-leather insoles regardless of leather quality.
Like spend $500 on an all leather sneaker like CPs but you still won't get patina unless it's ~natural veg tanned leather~ and for that you need FEIT or hender I guess
Rancourt do essex sneakers
they are split though
You will also need to up your budget considerably if you want to get a full grain non-corrected leather. For new balance money that's about what I would expect.
https://www.rancourtandcompany.com/collections/sneakers/products/bennett-court-sneaker-natural-essex
Rancourt & Co.
Bennett Court Sneaker - Natural Essex
The Bennett Court Sneaker is the latest addition to our sneaker collection. This timeless style is updated with modern styling and materials that make it a versatile pair of leather sneakers for everyday wear. The Bennett Court Sneaker combines the uppers of the Bennett Trainer with our Signature Compass cup sole makin
horween essex veg tan
Those look pretty sick
I don't have experience with their sneakers but Rancourt is generally great quality
made in maine
Incorrect, chrome tanned leather also patinas. I’m pretty sure all leather patinas maybe except for black leather
There's lower p patina and there's P A T I N A
Aging and patina-ing are independent concepts
i'm living for this chat, this is so much nicer than reddit
Here's some "full grain sneakers" for your perusal : https://www.yuketen.com/ready-to-wear/land-jordan-first-black
https://www.yuketen.com/ready-to-wear/land-jordan-b-white
YUKETEN
Land Jordan First - Black — YUKETEN
Goodyear welt construction Full grain cow leather upper Vibram USA made 2060 outsole Handcrafted in the Mexico
YUKETEN
Land Jordan B - White — YUKETEN
Goodyear welt construction Full grain cow leather upper Vibram USA made 2060 outsole Handcrafted in the Mexico
You really shouldn't be worried about a sneaker "forming to your foot" - i feel like you're trying to apply concepts from the leather boots that you're used to to sneakers and they're not the same kind of shoe
a comfortable sneaker has nothing to do with the leather aging and taking on the shape of your foot, nor should you assume it will
it's the ineffable concept of quality above all
Idk my primary reason is that I don’t wanna buy fake leather by principal
it's why my wardrobe is full of PNW boots
but I'd draw the line at NB sneaks
it's apple and oranges
don't really understand this if you're not dropping $400+ on a shoe, it's a shoe
is it a good shoe? is it comfortable? do i like the way it looks? those are the questions that matter
It's not even truly ~fake~ it's just corrected grain
yeah, its not fake , it's made for a different purpose
Which, for $100 to get a pair of sneakers, is what you should expect
which is why it costs a fraction
which again is something to avoid if you're buying a belt or a pair of oxfords or something
but with sneakers it's the wrong way to approach it
I’m willing to spend more than 100$
alright I've had five pairs of hender schemes and I'm checking in here
You're just currently complaining about your $100 sneakers is all
you should try them on in person and consider this heavily
they are heavy fucking shoes
they have weight approaching boots
buy hender schemes if you want but you should buy them because you like how they look
it's a really different experience to wear them compared to wearing sneakers
What's the budget and what's the general look you are trying to obtain with your full grain leather shoes - we can help from there
and because they fit into your wardrobe, your aesthetic, etc
if you expect the comfort of new balance or whatever sport shoe
you are not gonna have a good time
I just dislike how all the ones with cool designs that I like are low quality like new balance 550’s and crap
not because of unquantifiable ideas of "quality"
tiktok leather review brain I'm afraid
I implore OP to listen to me bc I probably have more miles and hours on full grain leather sneakers henders than anyone else in this chat
ok
(I'm agreeing w u fwiw)
(but just giving him a reason to listen rather than just hearing shit on internets)
no I'm just objecting to your stats
OP is taking advice from rose anvil, i genuinely don't think they should consider hender scheme
And I’ve tried Thursday sneakers and Greats sneakers that are high quality but in my opinion have bad designs
in any circumstance
Design is a component of quality
I have revised my statement counselor
I’ve had good experience with Oliver cabell but it seems hit or miss for some people
They have some nice designs
people hate the company for good reason
and to my knowledge they're not really what this person is looking for
non-full grain != plastic, and depending on the color you want, full grain will look worse
Been wearing Margiela GAT's for years and I love them super comfortable
quality is an empty buzzword and we should make a bot that deletes it
i will give OP that i hate the way stan smiths look when they start to crease
because they're corrected grain
but there's so many other sneakers made with corrected grain leather that are fine and look cool
if you want any color besides natural and veg tanned, you will want corrected grain
also that
that part isn't true, cuz chrome tan full grain
it's maybe not great advice for OP but the answer is to change the way you think about leather and quality when it comes to sneakers
because you're always going to be unhappy otherwise
I mean, chrome tan isn't always full grain
and also object dyed leather let's not forget bright red guidi boots
horween chrome is corrected
not my point at all but carry on
I just think the 550 leather is awful, it’s literal suede with plastic on top to essential trick the consumer
@Jupes1004 here you go: https://instagram.com/bakashi.the.cobbler?igshid=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==
Login • Instagram
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So anything a little better haha
I don't actually have these but I have some other things from the company, they're minimalist and there's a bunch of marketing bs on there but https://www.asphalte.com/en-US/h/products/the-solid-sneakers
Asphalte
The Solid Sneakers
100% full-grain Italian leather
Hand-made in Porto
Super resistant Margom outsole
not tricking the consumer, hitting a price point
any consumer that thinks they are getting good leather for 100 bucks is a madman
the roseanvil brianworm is too strong to defeat fellas
I’ll spend more than 100$ as long as it looks cool
are you looking for a shoe that looks like a 550 though? what shoes do you like? what does the rest of your wardrobe look like? what style do you like?
bump @Jupes1004
Which is the point of me asking for recs
all these are more important than whether a shoe has full grain or not
Jupes people have given you dozens of recs
Just buy hender or FEIT or miusa NBs
FEIT are dope
+1 feit
It must be said that you are ignoring Recs and continuing to argue semantics here
I mean spending a ton of money because of arbitrary concepts you get hung up on while learning about clothes feels like a pretty standard stepping stone to enlightenment
The entire internet and the raw jeans decade
GF bought me these :^)
This is true, but I think he’s shooting himself in the foot because “550s but in full grain” don’t exist
Like there are contradictory goals here
Hender have models that are basically NB dupes
Transparency going crazy here
Idk I already own multiple Aldens, paraboots, Loakes, etc. I just don’t really care about sneakers that much
yeah very odd how they'd done it on their page
Then don’t spend more money for shit you don’t want
Marry Her
You don’t need to own sneakers
Buy loafers
hey now lets not go spouting damaging rhetoric
this is what i'm saying, you can't approach sneakers the same way as these shoes
I buy her 10 pairs of shoes for every pair she buys me 🙃
only slight exaggeration
Canoe Club
Hender Scheme MIP-25 Shoes | Canoe Club
Made entirely by hand from raw cowhide, each piece from the MIP collection is a work of art that has been meticulously crafted and leaves behind no trace of being handled with the idea that each shoe will become unique to the wearer. Another collectible classic from Hender Scheme in limited supply. Fits true to size.
Buy sabahs or rancourts or something
Great recs everyone
the rancourts are the sweet spot
Haha yes but clearly she has good taste so my point stands
in quality to price
The rancourts are fire, I own a pair of there boat shoes
why did we just have a 150 message conversation then
about sneakers and your preferences
dropping $868 on a pair of sneakers because of rose anvil
forget it blueeyes it's mfa
her shoe collection is 1/3 Guidi, 1/3 Margiela tabi and 1/3 Feit at this point 😤
as god intended
POV u are nickknacks gf: 
Intended or coincidental Chinatown reference
Well I think it’s an interesting conversation to be had haha
intended obv
I still need to get some Feit. I been slack in’
Perfect
just don't buy MSRP lmao
who and what and
i really enjoyed the chaos ty
Forget it Jake, it’s Chinatown
not my liquor license
Anyways this is a silly conversation when the ideal sneaker already exists and is made of full grain calf leather
RICK OWENS - SHOES
RICK OWENS SS23 EDFU GEOBASKET IN BLACK AND MILK FULL GRAIN CALF LEATHER
THESE GEOBASKETS ARE ABOVE-ANKLE HEIGHT. THEY HAVE SEVEN EYELETS WITH LACES, AN EXTENDED TONGUE, A ZIPPER ON THE INSIDE ANKLE FOR EASY FASTENING, GEOMETRIC SEAMS WITH TOPSTITCHING AND SHARK-TOOTH SOLES.
THIS FULL GRAIN CALF LEATHER HAS A SEMI-SHINE FINISH.
* COL...
they won't patina tho I've tried
4 the sole will disintegrate anyway in 2-3 years tops, and the quality of the upper wont matter
Patina = cooking your forces til theyre grey and shredded
These are insane, what model are they???
Late to the party but, OP, it sounds like sneakers won’t make you happy so just take a nap and when you wake up, pick something else that will make you happy.
FEIT
Lugged Runner
With all the functionality of a hiking boot in the modern silhouette of a trail runner, the Lugged Runner is designed for all-day and all-terrain wear. The only sneaker in production to incorporate a hand-sewn Goodyear welt, a method that increases longevity of the shoe and allows for easy resoling. One-piece leather u
Check Oliver Cabell they have stuff you're describing
if you need sneakers because summer is too hot for boots, why not get unlined loafers or similar? ticks your boxes on patina, real leather, etc.
^^^^^
>Full grain sneakers
Oh you've stirred up the hornets nest
Lmao at people throwing bricks at my Oliver Cabell suggestion. I only heard horror stories about O.C. but I really wanted navy sneakers for my wedding in June and no one else really made them in the shade and colorway so I rolled the dice w them. They're the best fitting leather sneakers I've ever worn. I realize thats a personal foot shape thing but man they litterally fit me perfectly. I have Koio and Greats (when they were good) and O.C. fits me better and is basically indistinguishable from my Koios. I wound up having to exchange the size and had no issues with customer service, have since ordered more and done more exchanges so I guess I'm lucky or maybe they just improved recently
Yep haha it seems like this is a really sore subject for whatever reason haha. People are really against high quality leather being on sneakers it seems
nobody is against high quality leather being on sneakers, your measurement of 'high quality' is not aligned w/ reality
That is a high quality comment.
I’m going with Vejas, since they are mainstream and only 65$ more than the 550’s
And they sell them in a variety of leathers including full grain veg tan leather
That's a full grain decision.
It’s just that the thing you were asking for doesn’t make sense to produce for anyone that produces the type of sneaker in question and there are many options for full grain leather sneakers that aren’t that
I’m glad you found something you liked though even if it wasn’t exactly what you asked for originally
Yea it is? High quality leather mainstream sneaker
Also people are understandably touchy about use of the word “quality” because it is used as if it is an objective definition
I think you’re at like viberg or feit for sneaker-looking with leather
No a high quality leather sport sneaker IE Nike or new balance
Maybe Velasca Milano put out a summer model
There are plenty of high quality leather sneakers
I didn’t say sport sneaker I said mainstream
It's such a trap as a concept, the holy grail of quality in clothing.
They aren’t the same as a light performance inspired shoe a la Nike or new balance
here we go again
Yeah I’ve been tricked
time is a flat circle
I have nothing else to say on it though
i do
new balance rules veja drools
nukes fired
I think they are they basically are adidas superstar ripoffs which I think is same category, and a lot more popular than Oliver Cabell, crown Northampton, etc. which I consider more niche
Or adidas Stan smith ripoffs maybe?
You found what you are looking for and I don’t care to run this circle again, best of luck with the sneakers
Thanks haha, not sure what all the fuss is about, sorry everyone I wanted full grain leather on my sneakers lol
https://www.endclothing.com/us/new-balance-x-horween-m998wd-made-in-the-usa-m998wd.html
eat ur heart out dingdong
END.
New Balance x Horween M998WD - Made in the USA Burgundy | END. (US)
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im gonna hurl
it looks like red velvet cake
Chromexcel is corrected grain
shhhhhh he will see horween and coom and the question will be done
