For the Best Leather Sneakers for Men, Try These 18 Brands On For Size (2024)

Direct-to-consumer menswear startups and luxury brands alike are producing low-top, minimalist leather sneakers for men, which are comfortable and good-looking and can serve as a dressed-down alternative to oxfords, loafers, Chelsea boots and chukkas.

Continue reading to review more than a dozen footwear brands offering low-top, minimalist leather sneakers for men that might be dressy enough for work, or work-from home.

Price Comparison: Leather Sneakers for Men

Here is a comparison of the cheapest and most expensive leather sneakers for men.

The Best Leather Sneakers for Men

Price doesn’t tell the whole story. Below is a review of the best leather sneakers for men from affordable to affordable luxury, as well as an excellent “bio leather” from sustainable fashion brand Thousand Fell.

Oliver Cabell

Oliver Cabell makes some of my favorite everyday leather sneakers.

In 2016, Scott Gabrielson left his nonprofit career, moved to the United Kingdom and started Oliver Cabell, an independent, direct-to-consumer footwear brand. (He and his team have since moved to the United States.) Handmade in in Albacete, Spain, Oliver Cabell’s GAT sneaker was inspired by traditional German athletic trainers. The two-tone outer alternates between 3oz calfskin leather and suede from Veneto, Italy; inside you’ll find an Italian calf-skin footbed. See my in-depth review of Oliver Cabell’s GAT trainers (pictured above) to find out why I love their minimalist leather sneakers.

Oliver Cabell also recently launched the Court, a minimalist low-top leather sneaker with an iconic, tennis-inspired look. They also make casual slip on shoes for men and women, including a line of comfortable driving shoes for men.

Cariuma

Sustainable fashion brand Cariuma was founded in Brazil in 2018 by Fernando Porto and David Python. The company aims to pursue sustainable manufacturing practices and materials.

While many of their sustainable footwear options are made from canvas, Cariuma offers several high top and low top OCA sneakers constructed with leather. Their shoes are “ethically-sourced” from sustainable materials and constructed in China.

Thousand Fell

Thousand Fell Founders Chloe Songer and Stuart Ahlum are transforming the sneaker industry. The company designs their shoes in New York City and manufactures them at a family-owned factory in Brazil using sustainable production methods and materials including aloe vera, natural and recycled rubber, castor bean, recycled bottles, coconut husks and sugar cane.

Thousand Fell’s minimalist sneakers are attractive and comfortable, and are designed to never wind up in a landfill.

At $100 (plus a $20 recycling deposit), they also won’t break the bank.

Ace Marks

Ace Marks makes some absolutely striking sneakers and shoes.

Founder and CEO Paul Farago told me in an interview that he launched Ace Marks “to make real luxury affordable for everyone, so we work on slim margins and sell at attainable prices.” Ace Marks designs and sells high-quality leather sneakers and shoes that are made entirely in Italy from Italian dyes and components.

Ace Marks’ low top leather Duke Dress Sneakers are dyed and burnished by hand in Italy and feature a super-soft, full-grain calfskin leather upper and lining, a pillow-padded cushioned tongue and collar, shock absorbing insoles and a stitched (rather than glued) rubber Margom outsole.

Get a coupon for 10% off at Ace Marks by signing up for emails on their website.

Beckett Simonon

Colombian menswear startup Beckett Simonon is better known for its amazing line of limited-run dress shoes, but has started to release limited edition, minimalist leather sneakers for men.

The company’s two-tone Morgen Classic sneakers ($145), which are handmade in Portugal, were inspired by a shoe commissioned by the German Army in the 1970s, the Morgens are made of full grain calfskin leather and water-resistant repello suede. (Disclosure: The company gave Modern Fellows a pair at no cost.) The shoes are comfortable and have held up well to frequent wearing. 

Beckett Simonon makes shoes on demand, which means a customer can wait up to 6-8 weeks (but often less) for an order to arrive. I personally think they are worth the wait, and love the pair of dress shoes and sneakers that I own. (Disclosure: I received both for free from the company.)  Check out Beckett Simonon’s full lineup of leather sneakers, dress shoes and boots via their website.

Take 20% off your order from Beckett Simonon with coupon code MODERNFELLOWS.

Moral Code

The team at Moral Code brought experience working at the likes of Allen Edmonds, Florsheim and Clarks to found a fashion-forward, footwear-focused brand whose designs and colors stand out from more staid brands. I bought a pair and wrote a review of Moral Code’s Alec leather lace-up leather sneakers for men. 

For me, Moral Code’s leather sneakers stood out for their sharp colors, including a vivid red, and feature leather throughout the upper, lining and footbed. Unlike many other options, the shoes feature EVA, or ethylene vinyl acetate, soles, a synthetic material that absorbs shocks. Sadly, those kicks, which cost $129 on their website at the time I bought them, are no longer available. Explore additional leather sneakers via Moral Code’s website or at Moral Code’s storefront on Amazon.com. They offer customer-friendly free shipping and free returns on all purchases from their website.

Get a coupon for 25% off your first Moral Code purchase by signing up for their emails.

Velasca

Founded by menswear entrepreneur Enrico Casati in Milan in 2012, Velasca is best-known for its line of affordable luxury dress shoes for men and women. The company also offers a range of sneakers including the slick Italian-made Belèratt ($185), a modern, minimalist leather sneaker with a white sole. These kicks sport a rubber sole and a full-grain leather outer and are lined with Vacchetta leather inside.

Greats

Unlike some of the other brands on this list, menswear startup Greats started with and specializes in leather sneakers. Way back in 2007, Ryan Babenzien and Jon Buscemi came up with the concept, and finally launched their vertically-integrated brand in 2012 aimed at selling a better sneaker for less direct to consumers. 

Greats’ Royales ($179) are luxury kicks: Handmade in Italy of full grain leather throughout, on the outer and inside lining, designed to develop a vintage patina as they age.  The shoes come with waxed cotton laces.

Greats is also a good bet for minimalist knit sneakers for men and women.

A Day’s March

Based in Stockholm, Sweden, A Day’s March specializes in a range of Scandanavian-inspired menswear staples meant to get you through the day. Founders Marcus Gårdö, Pelle Lundquist and Stefan Pagreus started the company in 2014 focused on “clean-cut basics…of the highest quality, at a friendly price.” Their minimalist Marching Leather Sneaker for men ($190) is handmade from high quality Italian calf leather and features a durable sole from Italian outsole manufacturer Margom.

Scarosso

While the brand sure sounds Italian, Scarosso is based in Berlin, Germany, the brainchild of founders Moritz Offeney and Marco Reiter. The duo launched the direct-to-consumer affordable luxury footwear brand for men and women in 2010 and has since taken on investors, aiming to be the Warby Parker of shoes. Scarosso’s Italian-made Cosmo Rosso leather sneaker stands out for it’s bright red heel, which anchors an otherwise clean design.

Clockwise from top-left: Velasca, Greats, Koio Collective, Scarosso, New Republic, Oliver Cabell

Koio Collective

In 2015, self-professed “sneakerheads” Chris Wichert and Johannes Quodt launched Koio Collective to bring “European sensibility and quality to American ambition and attitude.” Koio pushes the envelope, featuring styles and colors not available elsewhere.  Their Capri Red Clay nubuck sneakers ($248) are a great example, with a textured, muted red clay hue atop a nubuck sneaker with suede accents.

Undandy

Based in Portugal and founded by Rafic Daud, Undandy offers the ability to customize dress shoes and sneakers, which are made to order in Portugal and can take up to 2 weeks to arrive. Undandy designed unique men’s leather sneakers with a full brogue in interesting colors including pine green.

New Republic by Mark McNairy

Mark McNairy founded New Republic in 2016 to a chorus of positive press from the likes of GQ, who praised the menswear entrepreneur’s trendy styles and affordability. New Republic looks to keep prices below $100 for its range of Chelsea boots, chukkas, loafers and sneakers, plus the company will knock an additional 25% off orders of $250 or more. At $89, the Kurt Leather Sneaker sports a round toe, leather upper, microsuede lining, tonal laces and a padded collar.

Cobbler Union

Cobbler Union has a range of high-top and low-top leather sneaker options, including the Uno ($245). The Uno comes in range of colors like green and a sweet vintage blue. Like A Day’s March, Cobbler Union places the sneaker atop a rubber sole from Italian manufacturer Margom that offers superior traction and durability. The upper features premium calfskin, and a soft insole helps mold to your foot. They also come with two sets of different colored laces (white and matching).

Amazon brands: find and 206 Collective

Amazon has developed a series of fashion brands for men and for women. Their find brand offers a tremendously affordable leather sneaker option (albeit with mock suede), while their most versatile shoewear brand for men and women, 206 Collective, offers a basic white leather lace-up with suede heel.

Alternatives to Leather Sneakers for Men

Leather sneakers aren’t appropriate for every occasion.

Explore Scarosso, Undandy, Beckett Simonon and many more brands via my guide to the best men’s dress shoes for work.

Looking for even more innovative menswear options? Check out these interesting menswear startups to transform your wardrobe.

Pin me Please: These Innovative Brands Make SPECTACULAR Leather Sneakers for Men

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