The Swedes have just celebrated Midsummer, the Chinese have have run their dragon boat races, and Americans have just finished detonating the sky. That’s right, baby – summer is in full swing! Which means it may be time to evaluate how the rough weather of winter and spring has treated your sneakers. If you are like me, this means sending off the most raggedy pair of Blazers on earth and shopping for fresh alternatives. From my own recent thorough research, I want to share the current state of sneakers with 5 of my favorite pairs that will spruce up your summer wardrobe.

After hours of scrolling across every mens fashion site from Ssense to Mr. Porter, I have deduced that the current landscape of sneakers divides roughly into three demographics:

1. The Y2K silver runners / spiritual successors to the maximalism of the 2010s. Think 2010’s Balenciaga.
2. A (fatiguing) continuation of limited-release, hypebeast grails. Last time I kept up, Air Jordans were getting juiced up but it’s variable as hell.
3. Riffs on retro sneakers by way of classic silhouette tinkering, old-school color palettes, or both. Think muted, earthy tones on classic sneakers that used to be bleach white.

All of these options provide fun ways to spice up your wardrobe but the 3rd option strikes me as the most fad-proof and utilitarian – it’s much easier to dress up (and down) retro-styled sneakers to current vintage inclinations or to the rising tide of American Ivy. And frankly these are tried and true silhouettes – we have already seen Yeezys and silver runners die once before while the shape of vintage runners ebb and flows out of vogue (for the record, a quick perusing will suggest it is currently all-in).

(NOTE: This is NOT a sponsored post, it is purely written from the research I put into my last sneaker purchase. I simply do not have that type of juice.)

Onitsuka Tiger – Mexico 66

Hailed as “the next Adidas Samba” by fashion magazine and conspicuous brand-partner Harper’s Bazaar, Onitsuka Tiger’s Mexico 66 does indeed offer a vintage quality to the Samba’s classic silhouette. While many colorways are offered -including Uma Thurman’s Kill Bill kicks (pictured below) or the more patriotic red-white-and-blues – I find the Mexicali colorway (above) to be tastefully retro and most versatile. The deep red and green lines stand boldly against the beautiful cream leather, conjuring a vision of primo vintage Ivy’s past.

It’s hard to imagine replacing your Nikes with a brand you may have only just heard of, but the irony is that the Blue Ribbon Brand – before its rebrand- started by selling Onitsuka Tigers in the US. In fact, this partnership culminated in the shoe design request spawning the Onitsuka Tiger Cortez. Now, the astute reader will notice that Nike’s first ever sneaker was the Nike Cortez (another solid sneaker choice, btw), famously worn by legendary athletes like Forest Gump. This is not a coincidence, as the Nike Cortez and renamed Onitsuka Tiger Corsairs entered a sort of chicken and egg situation. Furthermore, it is as good a time as any to note this brand eventually became what we know now as ASICs and – because time is a flat circle – Onitsuka Tiger would subsequently become a modern lifestyle brand focusing on its roots in vintage apparel.

Anatomica – Wakouwa

Wait wait wait, hear me out. Yes, this shoe is $225… And yes, they look exactly like slip-on Vans… Yes, there are better value shoes with very similar silhouettes available – I admit it – but Anatomica Wakouwas do sit comfortably in their own lane. First, we can focus on that “comfortable” bit. These shoes come fresh out the box with orthopedic-level construction like arch support and asymmetric sole curvature. These are very rare feature choices usually found in aftermarket purchases. Second, the color-way of the Wakouwa is just a little more clean, with its natural off-white cotton and deep indigo blue lining (you can opt for the reverse color-way too). Third, this model is a Japanese-brand’s true-blue love letter to vintage ivy oxford sneakers. If you are thinking Take Ivy, there’s a good reason for it. These are bonafide classics, and about as comfortable of a choice as you can find.

Karhu – Mestari

If I had a dollar for every lesser-known foreign sneaker company with historical ties to the sports brand behemoths… Kahru is a century-old sporting brand out of Finland which offers plenty of interesting silhouettes from big chunksters like the Aria 95 to the slender throwbacks of my current recommendation and flagship silhouette, the Mestari. Color-ways for this model seem to come and go, but the white / flame pair offers a clean yet fun palette in a culture that is quickly becoming more gray-centric – leave the landlord white to your apartment walls! Despite the electric orange and blue, I still find these sneakers to be easily dressed up or down depending on your needs: throw on some Ralph Lauren shorts and a polo for a post-tennis match look, put on some jeans and a tee shirt for your day-to-day, Hell, get some varsity socks, running shorts, and your favorite crewneck for an effortless Princess Diana vibe.

Now, you may be wondering what an old Finnish company you’ve never heard of may have to do with the likes of Nike or Adidas as I alluded to earlier. Where should we start? Karhu actually holds the bragging rights of the first air-cushioned sneaker, a fact that many will accidentally attribute to Nike’s Air Sole due a mix of their extremely successful marketing campaigns and Karhu’s limited success outside of Europe. But thats not it – Karhu’s original logo was not the cute bear with its scribbly “M”. The Finnish company utilized a 3 stripes trademark as their logo until 1952 when a German sneaker company found itself in desperate need of a rebranding. Karhu now uses the “M” (standing for Mestari or “Master”) while Adidas sues fashion houses who use parallel stripes in their designs.

Autry – Medalist Low

Autry is a brand dedicated to reimagining a modern sporting brand with vintage vibes, a fact stated loudly in their promotional material, their clothing line, and of course their sneakers (it’s also the mission statement found in their about page). The three main silhouettes they produce sort of resemble an amalgamation of Adidas Stan Smiths, Nike Air Forces, and Reebok Club Cs, with very intentional design choices to invoke that aged feel: chunky rubber soles, textured off-white suede, and a flashy color on the heel. These can be a bit pricier – especially their overtly “Super Vintage” line – but we are at least dealing with some nicer materials and colorways than Autry’s contemporary inspirations. If it’s between these and the bleach-white Forces Nike offers for roughly half the price, I’m honestly gonna save up for the Autry’s.

Nike – Air Tailwind 79

We weren’t going to get through this whole list without an entry from the heavy-hitters, that would be quite a task – and a pretentious one at that. Nike has never shied away from its throwbacks, whether it be the ever-popular “Blazer Mid ’77 Vintage”, or the aforementioned OG Cortez’s. But one model seems to constantly elude the love it deserves, perhaps the one written in massive bold heading above. The Air Tailwind 79 really does offer a slick silhouette that is planted firmly between retro and modern: with its ivory upper and contemporary material makeup, it simply feels vintage without needing to scream it. But there’s no arguing it’s callback to yesteryear – check out the vintage trifecta Nike released in collaboration with Stranger Things, designed with inspiration from the show’s masterful control of nostalgia.

And there we have it – five sneakers you may have been overlooking described with fewer than five uses of the word “vibes”. I want to reiterate the base models of every shoe in this list are great, affordable options which fall well within the spirit of this list. But after who-knows-how-many pairs of Blazers and Chucks I’ve burned through, I figure its time for a fresh look – and I suspect I’m not the only one.