ad shoes: Bill Clinton, in his first term as president, running in short-shorts, a graphic tee, and a pair of either Asics or New Balance sneakers is what first comes to mind when I hear that phrase. Second is Balenciaga’s Triple S sneaker, which was introduced in 2017, when “dad shoes” entered my vernacular.
All men who were fathers in the ’80s and early ’90s supposedly wore the same kind of shoe: a performance sneaker that focused on comfort and stability, featured a whole mess of paneling, and had a chunky, clunky, rather unsightly silhouette. A dad shoe is an ugly shoe, so I’ve gathered. The kids nowadays may not think so—because the kind of bulky style popularized by the Triple S and everything Yeezy is now de rigueur—but I grew up at a time when it just wasn’t cool to wear a shoe from New Balance (the OG), Asics, Fila, or anything favored by an off-duty politician in the ’90s. My sneaker trajectory: pure white Nike Air Force 1s in middle school, a pair of Adidas Stan Smiths in high school and college, and Common Projects Achilles or white leather Prada sneakers in my 20s. All these styles are sleek and unfussy; they are mostly unadorned. That was my sneaker MO.
Now, I pretty much live in boots and loafers. But on the rare occasion that I do wear sneakers, it’s a chunky, clunky, attention-grabbing pair from Hoka One One. I’ve succumbed to dad shoes even though I’m currently childless, and I don’t feel bad about it. I’ve found beauty in the bulk. And if you, too, want to join in, snag a pair from the list below.
Nike Air Monarch IV Training Shoes
Dads are king of the household—aka the monarch. Nike hits the nail on the head yet again.
| Colors | 6 |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 6-15 |
| Materials | Leather, Synthetic Leather, Rubber |
New Balance Made in USA 990v5 Core Shoes
New Balance never went away, but it did have a comeback of sorts a few years ago. The brand became cool again, garnering the same kind of fanfare that it received in 1982, when its 990, the dad shoe to end all dad shoes, was released.
| Colors | Gray |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-16 |
| Materials | Pigskin, Mesh |
New Balance Made in USA 993 Core Shoes
New Balance is so synonymous with dad shoes that it deserves two slots on this list, especially for the 993, a shoe made famous by Steve Jobs.
| Colors | Gray |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 7-16 |
| Materials | Leather, Mesh |
Skechers Energy Afterburn Lace-Up Sneakers
Yeah, I know. We’re bringing it back to the ’90s and ’00s with this old-school staple: Skechers. Somewhere along the way, these guys lost their cool factor and became the dad shoe brand, but now that dad shoes are cool, guess who’s back on top?
| Colors | 12 |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 6.5-16 |
| Materials | Leather, Rubber |
Saucony Shadow 5000 Shoes
Here’s a rhapsody in blue (and green and white) that’s shock absorbing, comfortable, good-looking, and all that jazz.
| Colors | 9 |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 3.5-14 |
| Materials | Mesh, Suede, Rubber |
Balenciaga Triple S Shoes
Balenciaga pretty much kicked off the dad-shoe craze in high-fashion circles when it introduced the Triple S, a blockbuster design that has many sneakerheads searching far and wide for elusive colorways.
| Colors | Beige |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 6-11 |
| Materials | Leather, Rubber |
Gucci Rhyton Shoes
Gucci’s Rhyton is a dad shoe with some serious high-fashion drip.
| Colors | Ivory |
|---|---|
| Sizes | 5-16.5 |
| Materials | Leather, Rubber |
