Oliver Cabell Just Launched the Court, an Iconic Low-Top Leather Sneaker for Minimalists.

Minimalist luxury leather sneaker startup Oliver Cabell just dropped an iconic, 1980’s-inspired low-top leather sneaker.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know Oliver Cabell, which is high on my list of the best places to buy low top leather sneakers for men and a stellar example of the kind of innovative fashion brands that are helping men dress sharp.

In July 2016, entrepreneur Scott Gabrielson founded Oliver Cabell to disrupt the luxury footwear space. Today, Oliver Cabell makes a range of minimalist, premium, handmade footwear for men and women.

Scott combines high-end materials from Spain and Italy with an emphasis on supply chain transparency in a direct-to-consumer e-commerce model that produces premium shoes without the mark-up.

Earlier, I had a chance to review Oliver Cabell’s German Army Trainers (GAT), and found that their minimalist leather sneakers lived up to their premium billing at an affordable price.

In that review, I observed that,

Oliver Cabell’s … low-top leather sneakers have become a regular on my work-from-home walks, and I look forward to wearing them out and about in Washington, DC. I would never shell out $500 or more for high-end sneakers from a luxury brand, but I’m sure glad Oliver Cabell offers the chance to own a leather trainer of similarly-premium quality and craftsmanship at a fraction of the price.

Review: Do Oliver Cabell’s Minimalist Leather Sneakers Live Up to Their Affordable Luxury Billing?

The company recently launched the Court, a minimalist low top sneaker influenced by 1980s workout trainers.

It’s constructed of a 3 oz, full-grain calfskin leather sourced from Marche, Italy, where the shoe is hand-stitched and lasted. The Court also features durable and lightweight Margom Italian outsoles, an Italian calf-skin liner and footbed over removable molded insoles, and thick Italian-cotton laces.

Scott told me that, “the Court is our most intricate shoe to date” and a “celebration of construction.”

He added that, “the Court acknowledges and celebrates that pivotal era [the 1980s] in which sportswear was elevated from a niche product to a lifestyle, performance and fashion became inextricably blurred, and fitness and beauty became truly synonymous.”

Scott told me that the Court is almost entirely handmade, “however, it looks like a mass-produced sneaker. We don’t want you to know it’s handmade.”

I particularly like the look of the side profile of this shoe: The way the leather upper is notched into the rubber sole gives the shoe some character.

The Court retails for $228, but is on sale as of this writing.