Joe's Picks

Trainers Worth Lacing Up Worth Having in Your Wardrobe

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Joe's Top Picks

Black Trainers That Look More Expensive Than They Are STUARTS LONDON Novesta German Army Trainer - Black Jump to section ↓

$40.50 STUARTS LONDON

Blue Trainers That Go With More Than You'd Think GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Headlight Surround For Beta RR - & RR - -, X-Trainer - Blue Jump to section ↓

$24.98 GHOSTBIKES.COM

Grey Trainers That Go With More Than You'd Think SPARTOO.CO.UK Converse OMEGA TRAINER men's Shoes Trainers in Grey Jump to section ↓

$59.76 SPARTOO.CO.UK

Red Trainers That Quietly Do the Heavy Lifting OXYGEN_CLOTHING Flag Dover Trainer Jump to section ↓

$87.75 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

Running Trainers That Go the Distance GHOSTBIKES.COM All Balls Rear Shock Bearing Kit Upper - Beta X-Trainer - Jump to section ↓

$35.99 GHOSTBIKES.COM

Trainers That Look Right for Casual MILANOO_UK Mens Casual Sneakers GAT Lightweight And Comfortable Skateboarding Shoes German Army Trainer Jump to section ↓

$67.77 MILANOO_UK

White Trainers That Look More Expensive Than They Are GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Full Enduro Plastics Kit - Beta X-Trainer - Jump to section ↓

$112.49 GHOSTBIKES.COM

Black Trainers That Look More Expensive Than They Are

Black trainers are one of those wardrobe decisions where the price tag has almost nothing to do with how good they look. We have seen two hundred pound pairs that look like they came free with a gym membership, and sixty pound pairs that read as considered and clean from across a room. The difference comes down to silhouette, sole profile, and how the upper is finished. Clunky proportions and cheap stitching will give the game away every time regardless of the brand on the tongue. What we were looking for here are the trainers that have the restraint and the construction quality to sit comfortably next to a significantly more expensive outfit without asking any questions of themselves. Low profile. Clean lines. Nothing shouting for attention. Black works precisely because it absorbs rather than announces, which means the shape has to do the heavy lifting. These are the ones that do it well without taking a significant amount of money with them.

STUARTS LONDON Novesta German Army Trainer - Black $40.50 STUARTS LONDON

SPARTOO.CO.UK Converse CT All Star Low Leather Trainer men's Trainers in Black $69.99 SPARTOO.CO.UK

MISSPAP_UK_IE adidas Unisex Cross Trainer and Exercise Bike Floor Mat in Black $33.99 MISSPAP_UK_IE

SPARTOO.CO.UK Puma ARMY TRAINER men's Shoes Trainers in Black $55.90 SPARTOO.CO.UK

GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Clutch Cover Protector - Beta RR & X-Trainer - $27.99 GHOSTBIKES.COM

SPARTOO.CO.UK MICHAEL Michael Kors TREVOR TRAINER men's Shoes Trainers in Black $158.10 SPARTOO.CO.UK

GHOSTBIKES.COM Acerbis X-Power Engine Cover Kit - Beta RR & X-Trainer - $50.39 GHOSTBIKES.COM

STUARTS LONDON Diadora Trainer Leather - Black and White $55.00 STUARTS LONDON

GHOSTBIKES.COM Spada Heat CE WP Trainer High Top Boots Black - $159.99 GHOSTBIKES.COM

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Trainer $51.00 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Fenchurch Trainer $165.75 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Titanium SL ITGRPU Trainer $94.50 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

Blue Trainers That Go With More Than You'd Think

Blue gets unfairly dismissed as a safe choice, which is odd because most men quietly reach for it more than anything else in their wardrobe. The right shade of blue on a trainer does something neutrals cannot. It adds a bit of colour without demanding that everything else step back. We've been looking specifically at how blue trainers sit against different trouser weights and colours, because that's where most people second guess themselves. The answer is more forgiving than you'd expect. Navy works with almost everything. Brighter blues earn their place against grey or off white. Even the mid tones hold up better than people assume. What we've avoided here are anything too loud or too logoed, because that narrows where you can wear them considerably. These are trainers that work with tailored trousers as well as denim, with a linen shirt as well as a sweatshirt. Versatility was the filter. These passed it.

GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Headlight Surround For Beta RR - & RR - -, X-Trainer - Blue $24.98 GHOSTBIKES.COM

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Neptune Trainer $110.25 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Titanium SL Trainer $84.50 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair IOMI FootNurse Gentle Grip Diabetic Cotton Trainer Socks Burnt Orange Sapphire Blue Dark Burgundy - $6.99 SOCK SHOP

GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Front Fender For Beta - RR -, - RR -, X-Trainer - Blue $24.98 GHOSTBIKES.COM

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Point Dume Low Trainer $117.00 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

ECCO UK ECCO STREET - Men's Leather Gore-Tex Trainer - Blue $160.00 ECCO UK

STUARTS LONDON Burlington Socks Soft Argyle Trainer Socks - Blue One Size $4.40 STUARTS LONDON

DAMART Damart Climatyl Knitted Trainer $59.00 DAMART

SPARTOO.CO.UK Converse CLASSIC TRAINER SUEDE men's Shoes Trainers in Blue $46.80 SPARTOO.CO.UK

WEIRD FISH Weird Fish Rolph Trainer Socks Pack Washed Blue Size - $14.40 WEIRD FISH

INSTOCK UK Organic Cotton Trainer Socks Pack - - Denim Blue $22.00 INSTOCK UK

Grey Trainers That Go With More Than You'd Think

Grey is the colour most men overlook precisely because it seems too obvious. But that's the thing about a well made grey trainer. It sits between white and black without committing to either, which means it works with navy, olive, charcoal, tan, and pretty much every neutral a wardrobe is built around. We've worn grey trainers with tailored trousers, with selvedge denim, with chore coats, with shorts in summer. They absorb into an outfit rather than shout from the bottom of it. The ones worth buying come down to silhouette and tone. A bloated sole or a trainer that reads too sports-specific and you've narrowed its uses considerably. The grey that leans slightly warm works better with most clothing than a cool blue grey, though both have a place. We've been particularly drawn to low profiles with clean construction that don't need a logo to justify the price. These are the grey trainers we'd actually reach for first.

SPARTOO.CO.UK Converse OMEGA TRAINER men's Shoes Trainers in Grey $59.76 SPARTOO.CO.UK

MASDINGS Carn LeatherSuede MIx Trainer $129.00 MASDINGS

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair SOCKSHOP TORE % Recycled Plain Cotton Sports Trainer Socks Grey - Mens $9.99 SOCK SHOP

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair SOCKSHOP Wildfeet Bamboo Trainer Socks White Grey Heel & Toe - Mens $14.99 SOCK SHOP

STUARTS LONDON Burlington Socks Soft Argyle Trainer Socks - Grey One Size $4.40 STUARTS LONDON

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair Falke Sensitive London Cotton Trainer Socks Light Grey Melange .- Mens $12.99 SOCK SHOP

THE_DOUBLE_F Mafate Speed blackgrey trainer $96.25 THE_DOUBLE_F

ECCO UK ECCO MX - Men's Nubuck Outdoor Trainer - Grey $110.00 ECCO UK

ECCO UK ECCO SOFT - Men's Nubuck Trainer - Grey $130.00 ECCO UK

SNEAKIN UK Baby boy scratch sneakers Gola Harrier Strap Trainer $50.68 SNEAKIN UK

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Kilian Iripu Tennis Trainer $59.70 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

SOCK SHOP Pair Grey Everyday Cotton Trainer Socks Men's .- Mens $19.99 SOCK SHOP

Red Trainers That Quietly Do the Heavy Lifting

Red is the colour men talk themselves out of most often. Too loud, they think. Too much. And then they see someone wearing a clean pair of red trainers with grey trousers and a navy jacket and suddenly the logic falls apart. The truth is red works precisely because it is doing something. It is not blending in. It is the thing the eye goes to, and when the rest of the outfit is well considered, that is exactly what you want from a shoe. We have been looking specifically at reds that earn their place without demanding the whole room. Not neon. Not costume. The kind of red that reads as a considered choice rather than a moment of madness. These work with denim, with tailoring, with the kind of smart casual middle ground where most getting dressed decisions actually happen. A red trainer that knows what it is doing is a more useful shoe than people give it credit for.

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Flag Dover Trainer $87.75 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

THE_DOUBLE_F Low Samba OG whitered trainer $69.00 THE_DOUBLE_F

SCHUH Saucony Trainer Trainers in Red $54.99 SCHUH

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair SOCKSHOP Wildfeet Bamboo Trainer Socks White Teal Red Plain - Mens $8.74 SOCK SHOP

STUARTS LONDON Diadora Trainer Suede - Fire Red $119.00 STUARTS LONDON

TIES_PLANET Tresanti Men's Trainer Socks Pack -Plain Navy, Plain Red & Navy, Red & Blue Striped $22.00 TIES_PLANET

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Carnaby Set Cigar Bar Trainer $63.00 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

STUARTS LONDON Burlington Socks Soft Argyle Trainer Socks - Red One Size $4.40 STUARTS LONDON

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair SOCKSHOP Wildfeet Bamboo Trainer Socks White Black Blue Red Heel & Toe - Mens $7.99 SOCK SHOP

BOUX AVENUE Boux Avenue pack heart trainer socks - Red Mix $4.00 BOUX AVENUE

GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Swingarm Protectors - Beta RR & X-Trainer - $37.79 GHOSTBIKES.COM

GHOSTBIKES.COM Acerbis Skid Plate - Beta RR -, X-Trainer - $58.49 GHOSTBIKES.COM

Running Trainers That Go the Distance

Most running trainers ask you to choose between performance and looking like a functioning human being the rest of the time. That is a compromise we have never been willing to make. The best running shoes now do both, and the gap between what works on a track and what looks considered off one has closed considerably in recent years. We have been looking specifically at trainers that offer genuine technical performance without the visual aggression that makes them unwearable the moment you stop running. Cushioning stack, heel drop, upper construction. These things matter and we know what to look for. We have also paid attention to colourways, because a trainer that earns its place in a wardrobe needs to sit alongside clothes, not fight them. Whether you are logging serious miles or just want a shoe that works hard and looks right doing it, these are the ones worth lacing up.

GHOSTBIKES.COM All Balls Rear Shock Bearing Kit Upper - Beta X-Trainer - $35.99 GHOSTBIKES.COM

GHOSTBIKES.COM All Balls Crank Bearing & Seal Kit - Beta Enduro RR -, X-Trainer - $84.59 GHOSTBIKES.COM

SOCK SHOP Pair Black Sport Spirit Run Invisible Trainer Socks Unisex - Unisex $11.99 SOCK SHOP

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Block Runner Mepu Trainer $65.70 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Skechers Max Cushioning Propulsion Trainer In Light Blue $119.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair Falke Keep Warm Virgin Wool Trainer Socks Black -. Mens $15.99 SOCK SHOP

SOCK SHOP Pair Grey Sport Spirit Run Invisible Trainer Socks Unisex .-. Unisex $11.99 SOCK SHOP

SNEAKIN UK Sneakers Saucony Trainer $57.74 SNEAKIN UK

DOROTHY PERKINS UK Skechers Max Cushioning Propulsion Trainer In Black $119.00 DOROTHY PERKINS UK

WEIRD FISH Weird Fish Loretta Trainer Socks Pack Peachblossom Size - $4.50 WEIRD FISH

SOCK SHOP Pair Marine Sport Spirit Run Invisible Trainer Socks Unisex .-. Unisex $11.99 SOCK SHOP

OXYGEN_CLOTHING Kai Runn Nupny Trainer $84.50 OXYGEN_CLOTHING

Trainers That Look Right for Casual

Most casual dressing lives or dies on the trainer. Get it wrong and even a well chosen pair of trousers and a good jacket start to look like an afterthought. Get it right and the whole thing clicks. The problem is that the trainer market is enormous and most of what fills it is either too loud, too fashion forward, or trying so hard to be a statement that it becomes the only thing anyone notices. We are not interested in any of that. What we look for are trainers that complement an outfit rather than compete with it. Clean lines, considered colourways, and a silhouette that works with tailored trousers as comfortably as it does with denim. Leather and suede construction tends to hold its own in a way that technical fabrics rarely do at this end of the wardrobe. These are the pairs we keep coming back to when the occasion calls for casual done properly.

MILANOO_UK Mens Casual Sneakers GAT Lightweight And Comfortable Skateboarding Shoes German Army Trainer $67.77 MILANOO_UK

DAMART Damart Cushion-walk Zip Front Trainer $36.00 DAMART

SNEAKIN UK Trainers MBT Simba Trainer II $111.75 SNEAKIN UK

MASDINGS Bannister Calf Trainer $179.00 MASDINGS

MASDINGS Blake Adventure Trainer $71.20 MASDINGS

ECCO UK ECCO GRUUV - Men's Textile Trainer - Black $84.00 ECCO UK

MASDINGS Tokyo Hit Trainer $67.15 MASDINGS

MASDINGS Side Logo Trainer $148.00 MASDINGS

DAMART Damart Pack of Trainer Socks $9.00 DAMART

MASDINGS Mason Trainer $78.00 MASDINGS

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair Jeff Banks Recycled Cotton Patterned Trainer Socks Heel & Toe White Assorted - Mens $9.99 SOCK SHOP

SOCK SHOP Mens Pair SOCKSHOP Wildfeet Plain Cotton Trainer Socks Black - Mens $6.99 SOCK SHOP

White Trainers That Look More Expensive Than They Are

The white trainer is one of the most reliable things in a man's wardrobe and also one of the easiest to get badly wrong. Too chunky and they date quickly. Too minimal and they look like plimsolls. The specific problem most men run into is spending either too much or too little, and neither end tends to deliver what you actually want: something clean, well constructed, and convincing enough that nobody feels the need to ask what they are. We have spent time looking for trainers that sit in that useful middle ground. The ones where the leather or the tooling or the proportions just look considered, without the price tag that usually buys that quality. White trainers reward attention to detail more than almost any other shoe because there is nowhere to hide. A slightly off white sole, a cheap eyelet, a toe box that rounds too quickly. These are the pairs that get all of it right.

GHOSTBIKES.COM Polisport Full Enduro Plastics Kit - Beta X-Trainer - $112.49 GHOSTBIKES.COM