The best dress sneakers for men take the comfort, flexibility and versatility of your favorite Nikes and combine it with all the formal details and trappings of a dress shoe. If you’ve been in an office recently—any office, really—you’ll notice that dress sneakers are the new norm, and it’s a look that sportscasters have been flexing with suits for quite some time. Ahead, we rounded up the most comfortable and stylish options.
The best dress sneakers for men are cushioned, comfortable and stylish to wear with suits or jeans.
Unlike true-blue Oxfords, which can be a bit stiff—especially on first wear—or stuffy in certain situations, the best men’s dress sneaker are the easy go-between. Just keep in mind that if you’re looking for something formal-ish, stick with a leather pair, like Cole Haan’s 2.ZeroGrand Laser Wing Oxford or Amberjack’s The Original. If you want to go more casual, we like Wolf & Shepherd’s Swiftknit Derby sneaker. Here’s everything else we highly recommend, depending on your style, budget and needs:
Why Trust Forbes Vetted
At Forbes Vetted, we care about fashion and know how difficult it can be to try to pick out the best item from seemingly endless online options. We’ve done the extra work of researching and testing clothing and accessories so you don’t have to. Our collective of writers and editors have extensive backgrounds in fashion, and we’ve written about everything from men’s blazers to the best cargo pants.
Our Forbes Vetted senior fashion editor, Kari Molvar, has covered fashion and lifestyle topics for over two decades. She helped us narrow down our selections and determine which dress sneakers deliver the best quality, value and style.
How We Chose Best Dress Sneakers For Men
For this roundup of dress sneakers, we researched top-rated shoes, with at least four stars or more, and then looked a variety of materials, features and price points. We considered real customer reviews, and focused on both established and up-and-coming brands known for high-quality, office-ready footwear. We analyzed many factors like lacing systems, insoles, comfort level, traction and more to land on the best dress sneakers for men on the market right now. This article is also frequently updated to ensure it contains the latest information; it was last updated in September 2023.
What To Consider When Buying Dress Sneakers
Comfort
Dress shoes are not known for their comfort: the stiff leather upper takes time to break in, the flat soles have minimal cushioning, and a lack of padding can rub the heel and cause blisters. Dress sneakers take the sleek look of a dress shoe, but bring the comfort and traction of a rubber-soled sneaker. They typically feature a padded tongue and collar for painless all-day wear. Some sneakers tout comfort design details like flexible leather and extra cushioned, supportive insoles like our pick from Banana Republic.
Materials
Dress sneakers typically feature a leather upper, rubber sole and cushioned insole. Some styles, like these from Cole Haan and Wolf & Shepherd, are also available with a breathable mesh upper. Whichever material you go with, you’ll want to keep them a neutral color palette if you want your sneakers to blend in with most of your clothing.
Cost
Like most shoes on the market, dress sneakers can range from affordable to quite expensive. You’ll likely pay more for high quality leather sneakers while something with a synthetic design is going to be more cost-effective.
What Are Dress Sneakers?
A dress sneaker is just as its name implies—it has a rubber sole like a sneaker but has the sleek, minimal style of a more traditional dress shoe. They’re typically made of leather (or faux leather) in a low-top silhouette. Dress sneakers also differ from regular sneakers in that they typically don’t come in bright colors with highly visible branding; expect easy-t0-style neutrals like white, black or brown, minus loud logos.
How Do I Wear Dress Sneakers To Work?
Dress sneakers are appropriate for most office jobs because of their slim, minimal silhouette. Try pairing dress sneakers with a simple smart casual look (think chinos or dark jeans with a button-down shirt). For stricter-dress-code jobs that require a suit, you can still pull off dress sneakers. A darker suit generally works with a similar, darker-colored sneaker. For a lighter-toned suit, you could go with white sneakers for a fresh, modern look.
Your pant leg length is also an important factor to consider when styling your dress sneakers. If your pants are too long, they might bunch around the sneaker and look disheveled and a bit messy. A slightly cropped, slim pant is best worn with a dress sneaker because the hem will hit right above the tongue, giving a modern, streamlined look. Also leave your knee socks at home; you’ll want to go with no-show or slim trouser socks when wearing dress sneakers to maintain sharpness for the office.
How Do I Clean Dress Sneakers?
Don’t toss your leather dress sneakers in the washing machine; these shoes deserve a special treatment to keep them looking fresh for longer. We recommend keeping some sneaker wipes on hand to help spot clean small scuffs. For bigger jobs, simply add a bit of dish soap—or even a gentle shampoo—to a small bowl of warm water and work up a lather with an old toothbrush. Don’t forget to remove the laces and insoles if possible so you can really get in all the edges and corners. Use a towel to wipe up excess moisture. Cotton and polyester shoelaces can be machine washed in a mesh bag if they need refreshing.
