The ground is shifting underfoot in the shoe world. Cool kids are swapping sneakers for loafers. People are getting fed up with waiting for hyped releases only to score an "L" when they drop. No one's saying sneakers are going the way of frock coats or spats, but there is a creeping sense of malaise. That's a pity. Sneakers are easy, comfy, and still an essential part of the modern wardrobe. We should be thrilled about that! And we can be. To help you regain your sneaker mojo, we've rounded up five brands you may not have heard of yet. They hail from around the world, range from fashion-forward to downright classic, and are all entirely worthy of your attention—and maybe a place in your footwear rotation, too. — Jonathan Evans, style director |
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Footwear rotation feeling a bit stale? We can fix that. |
If you've been feeling a little burnt out when it comes to sneakers recently, we get it. Maybe chasing hyped releases from the big guys lost its luster. Maybe you wanted something more capital-P "proper" and, like a bunch of cool kids the world over, decided to step into a pair of loafers instead. Maybe you just got bored with what you were seeing online or at your go-to shops. Whatever your reason for losing your sneaker momentum, you would find sympathetic ears over here at the Esquire offices.
But the fact of the matter remains: Sneakers are essential. Fundamental. Every wardrobe deserves at least one good pair—and probably a few more after that. And while there are plenty of options out there from the household names, we've found that one of the very best ways to escape the sneaker doldrums is to start exploring and acquaint yourself with the upstarts and unsung heroes you may have overlooked in the past. These are the brands taking risks, mixing it up, and making the sneaker world feel downright exciting again. |
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We don't need to tell you twice that quiet luxury is everywhere right now. You see it in the clothes: beautifully made cashmere, clean tailoring, outfits that cost a small fortune and yet have zero logos screaming at you from across the street. The whole point is that the best stuff doesn't need to beg for attention, it just quietly does its job and lets people with taste notice. Naturally, that same phenomenon is true in the fragrance world, too.
And let's be honest, most of us are over the nuclear-option body spray era. Nobody's trying to fog out an elevator just to prove they pay attention to their bodily odors (or at least try to cover them up). The move now is an understated cologne: something clean, subtle, and genuinely appealing—the kind of scent that makes the people around you lean in closer instead of instinctively taking a step back.
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"You want any of this?" The text arrived in 2019 from a close friend, followed by a dozen photos of his grandmother's liquor collection. The cabinet of treasures spanned three decades. Crown Royal from 1959 sat next to 1967 Schenley OFC Canadian and 1962 Johnnie Walker Black Label.
But two bottles on the top shelf toward the back made my heart race: Old Fitzgerald 6-Year bottled-in-bond bourbons from 1970 and 1972, made at the famed Stitzel-Weller Distillery.
Vintage Stitzel-Weller whiskey—exceptional liquid made by Pappy Van Winkle himself, whose cultural mystique has elevated modern bottles bearing his name into unicorns—is the holy grail of bourbon collecting. And I had the chance to buy two. |
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