The Best minimal leather sneaker Holy Grail is the Common Projects Achilles Low.
So in this blog, we’re gonna look at six Common Projects Achilles Low alternatives including our favorite options under $100, $200 and $300. And of course, links to all these sneakers can be found down below in the description.
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“Brock, where are you right now?” That’s a good question. I’m in Brooklyn, New York with my good friend and men’s heritage style expert, Nick English. Nick runs Stridewise — a website dedicated to men’s boots, jeans, leather goods, and more. And between Nick and myself, we’ve tested pretty much all of the most popular minimalist leather sneaker brands.
So he’s the perfect guy to help out with this blog. And before we get into the list, Nick,
tell us why are Common Projects so popular. Common Projects is a shoe brand that
has amassed a really dedicated following
like a cult following among sneaker heads and fashion enthusiast in general. Their Achilles line really started the minimalist sneaker craze and it spawned a whole new category filled with
copycats and spin offs of this shoe. It’s the brainchild of an American art director and an Italian brand consultant and Common Projects runs a really bare bones operation like part of their appeal is they have like practically no marketing to speak of and a barely functional website.
And so that makes people kind of want them more, they just don’t try to sell you this shoe at all. And the brand has made its way into the luxury shoe space pretty much just through word of mouth. They are made in Italy, which is a big part of the appeal.
They’ve got hand-selected calfskin leather and like many high-end products, these sneakers will get better with age. They’ve become so popular that stockers often had trouble keeping them around
even with the full 100 plus dollar price tag. People always ask, “Are they overpriced?” It definitely depends on who you ask. They’re extremely high-quality shoes, but you’re definitely paying extra markup
for the designer brand name and the status which you can get from these little gold stamp numbers on the heel. That’s what shows that this is a Common Projects shoe.
And just these little gold numbers here which is like the lot number where they’re made
that’s like the reason for a lot of the extra price of these shoes. But if you don’t care about brand and you don’t care about these little numbers and just like having a low profile, minimalist white sneaker,
one of these options here is definitely gonna give you the best bang for your buck. So let’s start with the best option under $300 and that is the Koio Capri. This is my personal favorite minimal leather sneaker.
Made by hand in the Marche region of Italy. Koio’s Capri sneaker has a full-grain Italian leather uppe and it has all the other hallmarks of luxury sneaker. So full-leather lining, removable insole, margom outsole,hand-painted edges, the suede heel counter and waxed cotton laces that are also from Italy.
So unlike some of the other shoes on this list, the Koio Capri isn’t just a Common Projects clone.It is minimal and of course it’s made from leather, but it has its own slightly unique silhouette that I think kind of sets it apart from the pack. It has a more dramatically tapered shape than many of these other leather sneakers including the Common Projects. And that means that it’s slightly wider at the widest part of the toe, and slightly more narrow through the instep, so I find it very comfortable on my foot.It also has a noticeably shorter toe box, which gives it kind of a low profile when you look at it from the side.
The Capri’s branding is monochromatic. It’s extremely subtle. The Koio logo and wordmark are just embossed on the heel and on the tongue and I really like that it doesn’t have overbranding.
So I’ve worn the Capris for a few years. This is my newer pair. I have another pair that’s a few years old, and they’ve aged wonderfully. i really think these are the best minimal leather sneakers under $300.
And even if you have the budget for Common Projects, I would consider the Koio Capri. Another really good option for the under $300 Common Projects alternative is the Idrese Nuno.
After a few weeks of wearing the Nuno from Idrese,I finally realized what was so different about this particular premium white calfskin sneaker. It’s that the leather hadn’t creased which is very rare and it’s due to a couple of factors. First off is the fact that calf leather, which is tanned in Chiamo Italy
is 1.9 millimeters thick. This is much thicker than most sneakers, even most Common Projects alternatives.The other important factor here is that these shoes are made to order so once you click purchase, they get to work making the shoe for you.The downside is that this means it takes
like a few weeks to get to you.
But the upside is that the leather is fresh, because it hasn’t been sitting in a warehouse somewhere for months drying out and becoming less supple. So you get these sneakers that– yeah, they don’t crease and they feel like more kind of meaty on your feet. The Nuno’s margom sole is also a bit thicker
than a lot of other brands and the sneaker has a cork midsole which is like a very old school shock absorption feature that you usually just find in boots.
The bottom line is these comfy, durable sneakers that will go the distance and they tend to crease less than competitors, so the downsides, though, are again, the wait period and they’re also not quite as low profile as shoes like the Common Projects or some of the other options on this list. So like it’s sort of like a compromise between like a really low profile sneaker like this
and a chunkier sneaker like an Adidas sneaker for example. By the way, when you’re ordering these, I recommend going half to a full size larger than your true size. For some reason, they suggest going down
but you got to size up. So one of the best options under $200 is the Oliver Cabell Low 1.
Now, the Low 1 could be described as a Common Projects Achilles homage sold at a more affordable price point. It’s very similar to the Common Projects Achilles. It even has this gold lettering on the heel, and otherwise unmarked upper, so I think that’s a clear hat tip to Common Projects.
Now, when the Low 1 first launched, it was on par with some of the lower price brands on this list.
It couldn’t really compete with the Koio Capri, for example, but Oliver Cabell decided to reinvent this shoe
from the ground up. And like the Koio Capri, it’s now made in the Marche region of Italy.
-I really just like saying “Marche”. -Yeah. I mispronounce that all the time, I get in trouble.
Yeah, it’s pretty cool. The upper is three ounce full-grain calfskin from the same region and the outsole is margom. The footbed, lining, the laces, they’re all from Italy and that puts this sneaker squarely in the luxury category despite the lower price point. So this shoe has a straight profile, but it’s actually pretty narrow, so if you have a wider foot, you might want
to size up or try a different brand. But considering that Low 1 costs less than $200 when it’s on sale, which it’s always on sale, Oliver Cabell is clearly one of the best Common Projects alternatives we’ve come across to date.Next up, probably the best value Common Projects
alternative, I think, my opinion, is the Premier Low Top from Thursday.
That’s a company best known for their boots, Thursday Boot Company, but they’ve also entered the sneaker game with this really inexpensive minimalist sneaker, it’s just $129 and it has just about all the hallmarks that people want from sneakers like this. Like the leather is from the Velletri in Italy,
and it’s nappa leather, meaning it’s unusually soft and smooth like most of the other options on this list. it’s lined with vegetable tanned sheepskin, which is surprisingly durable, like a surprisingly durable
tanning method for a sneaker like this. And that comes with a medium density high rebound
polyurethane foam to help with shock absorption. And also, like it helps with comfort as well
when you’re wearing them. Another unusual thing about these shoes is that they have like vachetta leather insoles, which is like an extra fatty vegetable tanned leather that’s usually seen on the high-end bags like COACH and Prada and Carl Friedrik and stuff like that. Thusrday went with this leather because it offers more stability and support than a lot of cheaper insoles, even cheaper leather insoles. And finally, the outsole is 30% recycled rubber, which is like a nice little bonus for sustainability.
Okay, so for those of you on a budget, arguably, the best Common Projects alternative
under $100 is the Kurt from digital first menswear brand New Republic. And it seems to deserve all the praise that it’s gotten over the past few years.So it’s available in a wide range of sizes.Men size 4 to 15 including half sizes, which is pretty awesome.The Kurt leather sneaker comes with a tensile mesh footbed, so think like memory foam and that adds comfort and airflow to your step.
Now, on the quality spectrum, the leather is way nicer than something that you’re going to find on-say the Adidas Stan Smith, but it’s not-Spoiler alert. But it’s not luxury-grade.
It’s not like the same as obviously Common Projects or Koio or even Oliver Cabell or Thursday, but for the price, these are very durable and they can take a surprising amount of abuse before showing any significant signs of wear. So if you are on a tighter budget,
you should consider the New Republic Kurt. Finally, for the last sneaker,
it is true that I think the New Republic makes the best substitute for Common Projects for under $100.
Thank you as always for reading and until next time.
Stay stylish.
