No great outfit is complete without a clean pair of shoes to anchor the look to the ground. If you’re looking to step up your fashion game, then building out your footwear collection is an excellent first step. Oddly enough even fashion-indifferent Joes seem to care at least somewhat about what they put on their feet, so this might also be your gateway drug into the effay rabbithole.

Just as every party needs a tank, healer and DPS, every shoe closet should also comprise certain classes of shoe. In order of priority, we have:

1. White Leather Sneaker

If you’re missing everything on this list and can only afford to pick up one pair of shoes, get a white sneaker. The most versatile class of shoe. They look great both brand new and beaten up, and can be worn year-round. While they may not be the absolute best choice for every outfit, you’ll be hard pressed to find an outfit that is actively made worse by white sneakers.

Stan Smiths and Superstars, both by Adidas, are the conventional white sneaker. They’re pretty similar with only slight differences in silhouette, design and materials. Going either way would be a relatively safe bet, but anecdotally the trend tends to lean towards Stans if that’s something you care about.

If you’d like to spend a small fortune on your white sneaker, the Achilles Low by Common Projects are beautiful and highly-regarded. Though they may not be worth the price, so your money would mostly be going towards brand association.

The more practical way to disassociate yourself from the Adidas plebieans would instead be to look into the Oliver Cabell Low 1s: a super clean and minimal leather sneaker. Also much more affordable than the CPs.

My pick for this category are a pair of Stans with grey detailing, that I copped a few years ago. They’re pretty worn in now though so I’m considering picking up a pair of Oliver Cabells as well to mix up the clean and dirty looks, and the slimmer silhouette.

The Nike Air Force 1s are also an honourable mention here. A bit of a different stat distribution to how you’d normally build this class, but if you’re a bigger guy or just prefer a chunkier sneaker then it’s also a popular option.

2. High Top Sneaker

The counterpart to the white leather sneaker that covers the most additional bases. High tops are also very versatile and give off a different vibe, so it’s the perfect second shoe to round out your collection.

Since you already have a white sneaker, a darker-hued high top wouldn’t be an awful way to bring in some variety. Black and brown are safe options that go well with many outfits.

When it comes to high tops, Converse and Vans are the two big names. They’re almost exactly the same shoe in terms of what they offer, so I’d encourage just going by preference.

If you do opt for either shoe, make sure you pick up the Chuck Taylor 70s (not the All Stars) or the Vans pro model (not the lifestyle model), unless you want a dollar store shoe that’ll fall apart at the seams after half a dozen wears and your feet beaten up in the process.

If you prefer Nike, the Blazer Mid ’77s are also a good choice here. They’re a bit pricier, but the build quality tells. The look is also a bit sportier than Converse/Vans, which might be more up your alley.

Again for the chunky sneaker fans, there is also a high top version of the Air Force 1s. This is my choice over the Air Jordans (also Nike), mainly because the latter tends to be rather loud and tacky.

I’m currently rocking the Chuck Taylor 70s in the parchment colourway. The style and silhouette is fairly inoffensive, but also pretty uninspired. The comfort is also passable at best for me, so I’m considering benching them for another shoe.

One brand that has recently caught my eye as a potential replacement is Palladium, whose claim to fame is a strange hybrid style they call “sneakerboots”. They allegedly offer some of the look and functionality of boots (i.e. water resistance), but with the comfort, weightlessness, stylishness, and price tag of a sneaker.

3. Statement Sneaker

The statement sneaker is the shoe you slip on when you’re feeling confident and everyone needs to know it. The obvious way to emphasise shoes is by colour, but shapes and silhouettes can be loud too.

Also as far as statement pieces go, it’s also a lot easier to make a statement with your shoes than with your jacket or pants, since you can just tone down the rest of your clothes and let the shoes do the talking. This makes it a great entry point to start experimenting with more adventurous outfits.

Trending perpetually are the Mexico 66s from Onitsuka Tiger; lately I’m seeing Bruce Lee palette quite often. However there are plenty of other great colourways, and the SD and Deluxe lines offer more premium options and unique designs as well.

More recently picking up steam are the dad shoe, i.e. the New Balance 550/574/99x series. I was hesitant to include these here because they’re so commonplace that I’m not really sure they’re even much of a statement anymore—and I also don’t like them that much—but you do you.

If you’re more of an Adidas Stan 😉 then the Sambas and Gazelles are also great picks to make yourself seen. They’re similar shoes but both offer a wide array of designs to suit any style.

Between the two, Sambas are more popular and widespread, whereas the Gazelles boast unique collabs with brands like Gucci and Y-3 (as shown above) in addition to the standard looks.

Personally I have a pair of New Balance Numeric 22s in burgundy. They have the perfect level of desaturation to add an air of informality to a classy all-black outfit, but the browner hue keeps them from looking too out of place in white/beige outfits as well.

I’ve also got a pair of Yeezy 350 V2s in the Israfil colourway, which actually leads nicely into a point I wanted to include in this section: I wasn’t sure if I should really recommend anything here, because statement sneakers should be about the statement that you want to make; not anybody else.

As cringe as it may sound, fashion is a form of self-expression and your statement pieces especially should mean something to you, or at least be something that you like. For example, I may or may not have copped the Yeezys because I’m a chuu2 archangel weeb.

4. Running Shoe

This is the practicality pick. If you’re not an absolutely degenerate recluse (if you are, I’m not even sure why you’re here), you’ll probably find yourself in a situation that requires some kind of physical activity every now and then. But a focus on being lightweight and comfortable doesn’t automatically equal ugly.

My first recommendation here is anything with the Adidas Ultraboost foam, such as the Ultraboost 1.0 DNAs. Ultraboost is an extremely comfortable sole that other brands have attempted to challenge to varying degrees of success. Some are arguably better but Ultraboosts remain a safe pick even today, almost a decade after their inception.

It should come as no surprise that the next recommendation is from athletic sneaker giant Nike. Zoom X is their answer to Ultraboost, which while not as widely regarded, are just as comfortable as far as I can tell. The foam trade-off is balanced by Nike’s super soft Flyknit upper, which is the actual recommendation here. This can be found in shoes such as the Invincible 3.

There are also excellent options beyond offerings from the well-known Western brands. Hoka is a Japanese Nike equivalent, and sets itself apart with the cut and shape of its shoes. If you have oddly-shaped feet, shoes like the Hoka Clifton 9 might fit you better.

Also keep in mind that the Mexico 66s were originally a running shoe. The slip-on version is another good option here if you don’t like the athletic look of typical runners. Remember: classes aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive, so just as your healer could also tank, your statement sneaker could also be your functional shoe.

My sneaker of choice in this category are the Nike Flex Contacts, which come in an unassuming dark texture. However I’m on the fence on upgrading to a Pegasus Turbo Next Nature (also from Nike) because the purple swoosh is really growing on me as a subtle way to add a splash of colour to otherwise plain outfits.

5. Chelsea Boot

Rounding off the list is the Chelsea boot. No shoe closet is complete without a more sophisticated option, and Chelseas are the perfect candidate. They can easily be dressed down more casually, but also work fine with a suit and tie.

This has the added benefit of saving you from the uncomfortable dress shoe you didn’t spend enough money on, and haven’t been broken in because you only wear them once every other year when someone gets married or dies.

Unfortunately this is where my knowledge hits a bit of a wall, as I haven’t had too much experience with Chelsea boots. I really like the YSL Wyatt Suede Chelsea, but I also really like having money. However I suspect this might be one of those products that have a lower price bound before it becomes a worthwhile investment.

I do have a pair of the Polsa Uomo Side Gore, but everything about it feels like a compromise. The materials aren’t amazing, the fit is mediocre, the sole is uncomfortable, the shaft could be taller, and overall they aren’t very pleasant to wear. Keep an eye on this space; I may revisit this topic at a later date.

What Next?

Once you’ve acquired one of each of the above, not only should your wardrobe contain a shoe for every outfit and occasion, you should also have a better idea of what you like.

Now you’ll know if you want to double dip into one of the previous shoe classes for alternate styles, or if you want to expand into other categories and experiment with different options. Some good class advancements to look into would be low-top black sneakers, German army trainers (GATs), and combat boots.

At the end of the day though, shoes are shoes. Wear what you like.