10 White Sneakers That Will Never Go Out of Style

The key to finding a good pair of sneakers is finding kicks that will never go out of style. As consumers grow up, their sneaker collections tend to shrink. Not in the sense of amount, but more in the sense of what they actually wear. You can’t imagine how many closets become littered with unbearable product.

Finding a timeless shoe to go with a clean pair of denims or even shorts is vital to one’s fashion sustainability. And with summer officially here sending us those sun-induced vibes, we figured now would be a great time to touch on 10 white sneakers that have become eternal pieces of footwear.

Here’s what we came up with.

Nike’s legendary Air Force One silhouette has become a staple of sneaker culture ever since it dropped way back in 1982. Thanks to a gauntlet of colorways that leaked out over the years, closets and wardrobes around the world have stayed blessed.

But for all of the quality the Air Force One brand released throughout the decades, the all-white AF1 is still king. Crisp, cool and to the point. Picking between mid-tops, high-tops and low-tops shouldn’t be an option. For sneaker enthusiasts, it’s a must. Having a variety of white Air Force Ones is crucial to the integrity of any summer outfit.

Adidas’ recent effort to blast through the doors of pop culture, and blur the lines between themselves and rival brands like Nike worked. Between the addition of Kanye West as a “signature” representative and the whole Boost technology wave, adidas has been driving outstanding product into the hands of consumers.

But where the company made its historical mark was with the shell-toe, adidas Superstar series. You could argue that it’s the most archetypal sneaker ever made. A pure white base with a traditional three-stripe logo pressed onto the side has been featured on cultural pioneers like Run D.M.C. and Pharrell Williams.

In order for an all-white shoe to be timeless, it has to jump between generations without skipping a beat. The adidas Superstar model does that without trying. The brand should be honored for its ambition and relentless vainglory. Without the Superstar series, the sneaker landscape wouldn’t look the same as it does today.

Sneakers are all about lifestyle. In terms of the essentials, you can’t forget about the Vans Classic OG Slip On. That shoe is another staple of any true sneaker trailblazer’s closet.

It’s managed to find a home with sneakerheads and casual fans. From a comic book convention to the sun-kissed streets of Santa Monica, the Vans Classic OG Slip On formulated an identity of its own. You can pick the shoe out of a lineup and immediately tie the Vans brand to it. If that doesn’t bleed timeless, I don’t know what does.

Similar to the Air Force One, Nike’s Air Max 90 is another shoe that is forever ingrained in the memories of sneaker aficionados thanks to its design and significance.

In a time where unique colorways are released every weekend, Nike went out and unveiled an all-white version of the Air Max 90. That release went over remarkably well—there’s something about the Air Max 90 done in all white that somehow reinvents the shoe we’ve all come to know and love. Perhaps it’s the attention to detail and newfound ability to see the lines etched across the silhouette that made it so distinctive. Regardless of what it is, that polyurethane mid sole will never be forgotten. And for that, we say thank you, Nike.

Nike turned the world of skateboarding on its head when they inked Stefan Janoski to a deal. A streetwear pioneer as well as a creative visionary, Janoski and the design team in Beaverton, Oregon proved to be a match made in SB heaven.

We’ve seen dozens upon dozens of colorways and different versions of Janoski’s SB moniker. But the all-white Nike SB Stefan Janoski is one of the very best offerings this partnership offered up thus far.

The beauty of this white version of the Janoski Canvas is that like most shoes on this list, it works with just about any outfit. Instead of serving as the focal point of one’s wardrobe, the sneaker acts in a complementary fashion.

A great shoe tends to do that.

The defining shoe of the Reebok catalog will always be the Classic—especially when it comes to the summer. Similar to adidas’ Superstar and Nike’s Air Force One, the Reebok Classic found a way to creep into that world of immortality and stay there like a prime Leslie Nielsen in Dracula: Dead and Loving It.

If you went out and etched a mental version of the sneaker Hall of Fame in your mind, the Reebok Classic would be there. You simply can’t beat that plain white pattern and a textured grip sole.

Luxury brand Gucci has been known to release some fire sneakers over the years. The 1984 Collection is the very best of those taste-making efforts.

The low-top 1984 sneaker is a buttery tennis shoe. Resembling a piece of footwear that Sean Penn would have worn in Carlito’s Way, these kicks have benefited from Gucci’s immortal approach.

Sneakers that are manufactured by luxury brands tend to be looked at as overpriced mongoloids of design. Thankfully, Gucci’s vision of the 1984 low-top doesn’t tread into those waters. It quickly became a sneaker essential that meshed with jeans, linens, shorts and sweats.

Jordan Brand’s contribution to this list is the always-popular Air Jordan I Mid. While that shoe may not sell-out as quickly as the more traditional Air Jordan I, the Mid beautified in white leather is indispensable.

Generationally, Jordan Brand found a way to sustain an obscene level of success. No signature sneaker has ever come close to what Michael’s kicks have done for the culture.

You can pair your Jordans up with a radical high socks and gym shorts combo. Or, you can simply blast off in a pair of jeans and let the cuffs rest comfortably on the top of the Jordan I Mid.

Slice it, dice it, politic about it until the end of time, the white Air Jordan I Mid is nothing short of a must-own sneaker.

Minimalism is a style that won’t ever go away. It’s an approach that not only birthed some of the finest Apple products, but it also carried over into the sneaker industry. Common Projects is one of the very best companies when it comes to producing shoes with a minimalistic feel to them.

The Achilles Low is one of the most important Common Projects sneakers to hit retail stores. Known for its high-grade leather, the Achilles Low version more than earned its rightful place on this list.

What looks like a tennis shoe turned out to be something far superior. It’s almost like a tennis shoe was removed from the court and dressed up in order to handle more urban tasks, like eating out in Soho or cruising the streets of Abbot Kinney.

Incredibly fashionable and full of life, the Common Projects Achilles Low is a clean, ageless wonder.

Here’s a quick pop quiz for you: Say you had to pick one shoe that represents the heart and soul of the United States of America. What shoe would that be?

If you answered the Converse Chuck Taylor All-Stars, you get our cultural stamp of approval. Like warm apple pie, baseball and backyard barbecues, the Chuck Taylor All-Stars represent the core values of vintage America.

A tribute to a time the Internet forgot, Chuck Taylors can be used everywhere. Before fancy technology and pricey materials were slapped onto kicks, all you needed was a pair of Chucks and a bike to crush a Saturday. The beauty of Chuck Taylors is that they have never gone out of style—and never will.

Everyone needs a pair of Chucks. What else can you say?