The minimal leather sneaker. If you were to peruse any menswear YouTube channel, you’d be more guaranteed to find a video featuring a pair, than a fitness influencer counting their macros.
Ok, maybe not.
However, the point still stands. EVERYONE has covered the minimal leather sneaker at some point in time.
And don’t even get me started on the white colorway. The grandaddy of them all. That guy.
And it makes sense, right? It’s low maintenance, works with practically everything, and can be found at virtually any price point.
Now, I’ll admit—At first, I too was a passenger aboard the minimal leather sneaker hype-train. I’d consumed dozens of videos from different creators giving their expert opinion on why I should buy a pair. I was prepared to make that purchase in the near future.
But I don’t know if it was due to over-saturation, or just my fashion tastes changing, but I eventually found myself not only moving on from the minimal leather sneaker, but almost resenting it in a way. I guess it had just gotten too plain for my palette.
Especially the white colorway.
But something started to change. With the introduction of chunky sneakers, and the dad shoe being popularized amongst Millenials and Gen-Z—thick cut midsoles were suddenly all the rage.
Capitalizing on this shift, Alexander Mcqueen decided to toss their hat in the ring with a spin on the minimal leather sneaker. “What if we took the leather shoe and slapped a chunky midsole on it?” They must have thought. “It could be a hit!”
They couldn’t have been more correct if they tried. The sneaker became a popular hit in the celebrity world, and with anyone willing to shell out several hundred dollars for the “Bizarro” version of the minimal leather sneaker.
It wouldn’t take long for, what seemed like every brand in the world, to try their hand at recreating the surging silhouette. Whether as a cash-grab, competitive ego, or wishing to provide consumers with an affordable alternative—many tried…and many failed.
Fast-forward to 2023, and the chunky minimal leather sneaker isn’t quite the rage anymore. Folks have moved on, and coincidentally, that’s when I happened to come across Arne, and their version of the chunky minimal leather sneaker.
Surprisingly, I liked what I saw.
A lot.
So I bought a pair. And I gotta say…
I’m a big fan. So much so, that I wanted to write this review.
Let’s get started, shall we?
Aesthetic
So the actual look of the shoe isn’t THAT different from your typical minimal leather sneaker. I know, I know, cat’s out the bag. However, that doesn’t mean there aren’t some slight variations that I believe separate it from the rest of the pack.
For starters, it’s designed with a sloped toe, rather than a straight or even upward curve. This makes the shape of the sneaker soooo much more aesthetically pleasing. Also, this provides a needed contrast to the bulky midsole. Imagine if the toe was just flat? That would create an even chunkier silhouette.
So from a design perspective, this decision makes a lot of sense.
Now for the elephant in the room—and I almost mean that in a literal sense. The midsole on these bad boys is CHUNKY. I’m talking maybe an extra two inches of height? I legitimately might be six feet tall when wearing these shoes. I was taken aback once I saw it in person (that’s what she said…sorry).
However!
It works so well with the shoe. Maybe because of the aforementioned sloped toe. It has a smooth design with a finely-studded forefoot for some nice contrasting. The mid-foot slopes inward towards the heel, which I would assume makes it easier to flex your ankle from side-to-side.
Lastly, for the proverbial minimal cherry on top. The tongue and heel feature a metallic-silver “Arne” that provides a foil-like visual when the light hits it at the right angle.
And uhh, well…that’s about it. Told you, not much of a difference from your average minimal leather sneaker.
Material
Now this is where i was pleasantly surprised. I did not expect such soft leather to be used throughout the entire upper. I mean, I couldn’t stop running my fingers along it! It’s super soft with a thick cut. Due to the elephant in the room, this is another design choice that makes a lot of sense. You need a good cut of leather on the upper to carry such a heavy midsole.
According to the website, these trainers are handcrafted in Portugal, with premium Italian leather. Now, I cannot confirm the accuracy of this claim, but I do agree that it provides a luxurious feel when touched.
With a thick, rubber midsole to round things out, I can safely say that this shoe is constructed with some very solid materials.
Comfort
The biggest surprise to come out of this purchase.
These shoes are insanely comfortable!
I’d heard from friends who own the Alexander Mcqueens—say that they are actually very uncomfortable, despite having such a thick midsole. You’d think there would be quite a bit of padding in there. But that’s not the case with these. The soft leather makes them very easy to slip on and off, and once your feet are resting on these cloud-like insoles, you’ll be transported to comfortland. Population, you…
Sorry.
The design of the sloped toe allows for more room in the forefoot. There’s no abrupt wall, causing your toes to push up against the edge. There is plenty of room in what is already a very comfortable shoe.
Closing
At 125 USD, the Arne Essential Leather Trainer brings immense value to your wardrobe. It’s available in a variety of colors—from grey to white to navy. This particular colorway was on sale and ran me only 90 USD, making it even more of a bargain.
I haven’t tried out any other minimal leather sneakers, so comparison shopping isn’t possible. However, after experiencing these shoes, I honestly think it’ll be very difficult to find a better value on the market.
We’ll see how they hold up over time, but for now, these shoes are more than worth the purchase.
And that it is! I hope that you enjoyed this review and hopefully this brings you some much needed information during your shoe shopping.
Later, everyone.
‘Till we put the pieces together again.
Similar articles: https://pieceofthepuzzlesc.com/nike-blazer-move-to-zero-review/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pieceofthepuzzlesc/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/meshach.berry
2 thoughts on “Arne Clothing: The Essential Leather Trainer Review”
Thank you so much for this very detailed review! I will be purchasing a pair this week. 🙂 I wanted to ask, do you think I should size up or down?
Hello, Marguerite! I am so, so, so deeply sorry for not seeing this comment. I’m sure that by now you’ve already made the purchase. If so, I hope it’s treating you very well, just as it’s been treating me. If not, I went true-to-size on this one. I at least wanted to respond to you, and not just ignore you…even if it has been a few months 😅