Our Favorite New Cycling Sneaker

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The modern obsession with sneakers eluded me until I started paying closer attention to New Balance. Granted, the Massachusetts company has been making shoes for more than 100 years, but for at least the last decade and a half it’s been designing shoes that seem to me to be the perfect embodiment of athleticism and style, with an aesthetic that feels as if it won’t ever get old.

The latest offering to catch my eye is the C600, which New Balance bills as a cycling-ish sneaker. The cycling part comes from the tapered lines of the shoe, which slips easily in and out of toe clips without grabbing onto laces or exposed ridges, as well as from a very trick reflective material that hides beneath the perforated upper until being hit with a beam of light, when it explodes in brightness.

And the “ish”? Well, it’s just darn comfortable to walk or ride in and it looks swank at the bottom of a pair of selvedge jeans. The heel wedge is thick and cushioned, while the forefoot is slimmer and provides great pedal feel. Commute in it, or don’t—just wearing them around is a pleasure.

$120 • BUY

Read more from Steve Casimiro at his blog, Adventure Journal.

See more gear reviews in our Elements Gear Guide >>