Kent’s White Sneakers V. 2.0

Kent Wang just released version two of his plain white leather sneakers. I bought the first version late last year, but winter weather being what it is, I haven’t been able to wear them until the last month or so.

Kent’s design can be most easily compared to Common Projects’ Achilles, a white low top that has been immensely popular with style enthusiasts for the last five years or so. Like the Achilles, Kent’s is plain and minimalistic, which is a nice break from all the over-designed sneakers we’ve seen in the last two decades or so. The biggest difference between the two, however, is the silhouette. The Achilles is a bit sleeker, the sole comes up a bit higher on the shoe, and the shoe itself comes up a bit higher on the ankle. You can see this difference in the last two photos above. Kent’s second version, however, improves on the first by elongating the toe, so it looks a bit less stubby, and also pushes the sole ever so slightly so that it comes on top of the toe box.

The remaining sizes of Kent’s first version have all been discounted to $65 and the second has been introduced at $95. Not cheap, but in comparison to other white minimalistic sneakers – Saint Laurent Paris ($500), Common Projects ($350), Svensson ($300), and Erik Schedin ($135, once you deduct for VAT) – Kent’s is the most affordable around. Of course, affordability does come at a price. The Achilles, for example, is made from a higher-quality leather and the sole is reinforced with stitching. Still, for $95, these are pretty nice and would look great with jeans and chinos this coming summer.

Available sizes right now include 7, 8, and 9, but sizes 10 and larger will be made available in about six weeks.