5 Sneakers to Stake Your Summer On
Whether you’re strolling sidewalks or training for your next race, these five sneakers will see you through all your summer activities in style.
Once upon a time, sneakers were strictly activewear — never to be worn outside of athletic endeavours. Today, they might make up most of a man's everyday shoe rotation.
Whatever your stance, there's no debating their place in the modern wardrobe. Today’s best sneakers offer far more than comfort alone. Combining thoughtful design, premium materials, and innovative performance technology, they’ve earned a permanent place in the modern wardrobe alongside loafers, dress shoes, and boots.
That said, certain styles suit certain occasions better than others. We've rounded up five standout pairs to cover every base — from the best all-rounder to the best trainer — so whatever the season throws at you, you'll be ready.
ZEGNA 232 Suede Sneakers: The Best All-Rounder
This marks the first full season for ZEGNA's 232 sneaker, the latest addition to the luxury brand's casual footwear line-up, following in the footsteps of the widely celebrated Triple Stitch sneaker. While sportier and slightly more casual, the understated silhouette, premium suede upper, and tonal colouring mean you can wear these versatile kicks almost anywhere.
Pair these with shorts and a polo on the weekend or with cotton chinos and an unconstructed sport jacket around the office — your new go-to summer shoe.
Wearing sneakers to work is best reserved for more casual dress codes, and even then, it's best to dress them up with more formal pieces like chinos or linen-blended tailored trousers. This helps balance the sneaker's casual nature with something more traditionally office-appropriate.
VEJA Panenka Suede Sneakers: The Best Sports-Inspired
This is the summer of the World Cup, hosted for the very first time across Canada, the USA, and Mexico — which means soccer fever has rapidly spread across the nation. Enter VEJA's new soccer-inspired sneaker, the Panenka, named after Antonín Panenka, whose iconic penalty kick became one of football's most celebrated moments.
The Panenka sneaker mimics traditional soccer shoe style cues — like the gum rubber sole, reinforced toe bumper, and scalloped trim — while being made in Brazil, a famously passionate soccer nation. Wear these anywhere from city streets to spontaneous pick-up matches at your local five-a-side pitch.
Whether from kicking a ball around or just regular wear, suede shoes can reveal scuffs and marks relatively easily. The good news is, they’re also relatively easy to remove with specialty suede erasers, brushes, and sprays. Learn more by reading our Suede Care Guide.
On Cloudnova Form 2 Sneakers: The Best Trainer
Summer is the season to take your favourite activities outdoors — and for running to hiking to biking and beyond, On creates sneakers that can help you perform at your best and look great while doing so.
The Swiss brand's Cloudnova Form 2 sneakers, featuring performance details including the Helion™ superfoam midsole and nylon-blend Speedboard® propulsion plate, are among the most technologically advanced sneakers from On. With both superior form and function underfoot, you'll be flying through your workouts — or your daily step count — all season long without sacrificing style.
Details like mesh uppers, performance technology, and bold colours make trainers harder to dress up or wear more formally than sophisticated sneakers with details like leather or suede uppers, low-profile soles, and understated colours.
Burberry Knight Runner: The Best Low-Profile
British brand Burberry has been turning heads for re-embracing its storied roots and sartorial heritage, inspiring the design of this new retro-leaning sneaker. While "skinny” sneakers are very much on trend this season, Burberry's iteration is more akin to vintage track shoes or athletic sneakers worn by Olympians, tennis players, and gymnasts of decades past.
The sleek all-white colourway — apart from the subtle Burberry tartan detailing at the heel — is a sophisticated callback to the plimsoll-style shoes that gave birth to the sneaker as we know it today.
The thin soles and low-profile silhouettes of skinny sneakers mean they look best when paired with straight or wide-leg pants, which visually create more balance and more pleasing proportions than slimmer pants styles.
Santoni Bounce Suede Sneakers: The Best Crossover
Sometimes you need a sneaker that does it all. Running, walking, grocery shopping — whatever you're up to, Santoni's Bounce model perfectly balances athletic performance with aesthetic appeal. The chunky rubber sole and micro-perforations at the side are features typically seen on athletic sneakers, while the premium unlined upper and refined colourway — don't miss Santoni's signature orange sole detail — offer a luxurious finish.
If you had to have just one sneaker this summer, this might be it. Wear these with tailored shorts at the driving range, light-wash jeans to the drive-in theatre, and drawstring linen pants out to a casual dinner — ideally somewhere on the Mediterranean coast this summer.
Chunky-soled sneakers pair best with relaxed or wide-leg fits, like drawstring trousers, relaxed chinos, or loose-fit denim. The extra volume underfoot naturally calls for more volume above, creating a balanced, intentional silhouette.
Whether your summer leans more toward performance, travel, tailoring, or trend-driven dressing, today's best sneakers prove you no longer have to choose between comfort and style.
From helping you find your ideal size in any shoe to determining which ones would serve your unique lifestyle best, our expert team of Style Advisors are always ready to assist you. Find a store closest to you then with a Style Advisor to get started.
