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American Giant Hoodie: www.pntra.com/t/2-487507-2702...
Use Code "September" for 20% off.
The Best Jeans: www.daysofseptember.com/
Thursday: bit.ly/3hbEU3k
Uniform Standard: (Code YT10 for 10%): bit.ly/3hdR8IN
Oliver Cabell: bit.ly/3uDzJfJ
KOIO: www.pntrs.com/t/2-517738-2702...
Crown Northhampton: bit.ly/41D75KL
Common Projects: c.klar.na/al/8Bwu/
T-shirt worn in video: c.klar.na/al/8De2/
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Hoodie video: • $60 vs. $850 Hoodie!
So my current 5-year old daily worn Common Projects Achilles are starting to look beat up and need replacing so I figured I’d test the market to see find the best minimal leather sneakers. I went out and got my hands on 6 leather sneakers across the price spectrum to figure out the best overall shoe and the best value for money. We’ll talk about the fit, the leather, the build quality and more of each of these before making a final verdict.
Thursday Boot makes the cheapest pair here with their Premier Low Top. They cost $129 and were ordered in a size 9.5 in the Coffee color way. The leather on these felt the softest compared to the rest of the shoes featured today. The outer is made of a full grain American leather and the inner is lined with a super soft sheep skin. These’s aren’t my favorite looking sneakers and I think the laces have the a lot to do with that. All that being said, these are a solid pair for someone just getting into minimal leather sneakers.
Uniform Standard is next up for best minimal leather sneakers. Uniform Standard is based out of East London with the shoes being made in Portugal with Italian leather. The leather was stiff coming out of the box but you can sense the quality. The outer is made from full grain, Italian calf leather and the inner is slightly more supple. The sole is made of partially recycled rubber and is fairly tall at an inch and a half compared to the rest. They’re a solid reliable pair, coming in at a decent price point, with no frills attached to them.
Oliver Cabell was out to directly compete with the Common Projects as we’ll see with all the similarities. These are the Oliver Cabell Low 1s in a Nude color way in a size 9 which ended up fitting like a EU 42. They’re the cheapest made in Italy, with Italian leather and Italian soles showcased in this video. The leather on these sneakers is amongst the best. There have been reports it’s even sourced from the same Italian tanneries that CP uses. The soles are made by a brand called Margom which is industry best. They’re made in Italy and the best brands around the world use them. This is going to be your entry level Italian minimal leather sneaker. It's a competitive price for everything you’re getting.
KOIO’s Capris are up next in this Limestone colorway. KOIO uses a full grain cow leather for the inner and the outer. Overall, I think this is a great pickup especially if you can catch them on sale at $221. You’re getting stellar construction, great looks, Italian made, a plethora of colors all for under $250.
Crown North Hampton Harlestone Hand Stitch Derby in Black Horween Buffalo Leather are 100% made in as the name suggests North Hampton England with many methods that are typically seen on hand welted Dress shoes. The buffalo horween leather on these is phenomenal. Anchoring it down are soles hand made in France by Lactae Hevea. They’re handmade so they take some time to come in but are worth waiting for.
We all know Common Projects and what they offer by now so I’ll keep it brief as it’s pretty much exactly like the KOIO and the OCs. The feature a compressed leather counter unlike CNH’s full oak bark leather. The Margom sole is secured with stitches on the side so they’ll be able to be resoled if need be. The heel is hand lasted and features brass nails to give it extra durability.
The Common Projects pioneered this entire minimal leather sneaker thing and have remained a cult favorite. I’ve been a fan for the longest time but as I said in my first video on this channel. At $425 they aren’t worth it especially with Crown Northampton providing the level of sneaker they do at $50 cheaper and KOIO matching common projects at sub $300. However, there is an element of design that needs to be taken into consideration.
The end of the video has my conclusions and winners.
Intro 0:00
Sneaker 1 1:27
Sneaker 2 4:11
Days of September 6:05
Sneaker 3 7:00
Sneaker 4 9:55
Sneaker 5 12:21
American Giant Sponsor 15:54
Sneaker 6 17:38
My Choice 18:25