DC Shoes Just Joined the Clean White Sneaker Brigade
By Jake Woolf, Photographs by Matt Martin.
If you ever ventured into a Journeys in middle school, there's a good chance you remember DC Shoes as purveyors of chunky, heavily-padded skate shoes that weren't exactly the definition of timeless style, despite their popularity in the cafeteria. And that may be the last time you thought about the brand unless you were an X-Games fan or an actual skateboarder. But in 2017, the company is making a play for the masses with the release of the Astor, a sleek and minimal kick that deserves a spot in any stylish guy's sneaker rotation.
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Thanks to their tasteful details and minimal branding, The DC Shoes Astor is a great option for anyone who loves skate style—specifically the look of skate shoes—but is tired of the Vans wave sweeping the fashion scene right now (for the record, we at GQ still love our Vans just fine). They're also good for someone who is into the '90s throwback thing, but maybe isn't ready to go for the full nostalgia vibe with a pair of classic Airwalks.
That said, the Astor also maintains a skate-able design thanks to DC’s IMPACT-I technology, which is good news for those who actually use skate products for skate purposes. But thanks to their pared down design these kicks are equally as prepared to take on slim jeans or even a suit. Our favorite detail? The white leather upper—which actually is a just ever-so-slightly off-white hue—that features a pebble leather, giving the shoes a more casual, less sporty feel.
It's also pretty much impossible to go wrong with an all-white sneaker upper atop a gum sole, which keeps the kicks looking clean and simple without coming across as too hospital-ready—despite the fact that nurse-ish shoes like Reebok Classics seem to be having a moment right now. But ultimately what we love most about the DC Shoes Astor sneaker is that a time when menswear is seemingly obsessed with all things from the 1990s, it's refreshing to see a brand successful join the rest of us in 2017.
$65, buy now at dcshoes.com
This story originally appeared on GQ.
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