The Best Normcore Sneakers for Men

Aug 25, 2023

What is normcore? It’s a good question, and the answer is complex. I really started thinking about it after a few days of researching this piece, at which point I realized that what I’d originally had in mind was actually “dadcore,” which is to say that I was looking for shoes a dad might wear while grilling, working in the garage, going shopping, having sex, or getting scammed by Ukrainian CBD salesmen on the internet (which is a real thing that happened to a dad I know personally—and he was almost definitely wearing Nike Air Monarchs when it happened). The point is that while normcore and dadcore do overlap, they are ultimately very different. Thus [pushes glasses up nose] we can proceed from the point that normcore is… uh… actually a movement all its own.

Normcore style was popularized almost a decade ago, when art school students and cool kids started embracing the “ill-fitting” and unaesthetic styles their parents, teachers, and elementary basketball coaches wore in the 90s. As VICE observed back then, students had begun wearing “Patagonia fleece vests and the most basic of Uniqlo staples,” emulating normcore icons like “Larry David, Steve Jobs (guhh, turtlenecks!) and Blood Orange singer Devonte Hynes.” British Vogue describes normcore as such: “Coined in 2013 by New York-based forecasting agency K-Hole, the term refers to an anti-style aesthetic, making the notion of conventional dressing seem fashionable.” The article continues on to point out that Jerry Seinfeld is definitely a grandfather of the movement, while modern supporters include celebs like Hailey Bieber and Jennifer Lopez. But in popular culture, everything is style—there can’t really be an “anti-style style.” (It’s called dialectics, babe, look it up.) To me, normcore means normal (it’s literally part of the word!), i.e., something anybody could participate in. British Vogue’s assertion that $1,000 Balenciaga mesh and faux-leather trainers are normcore therefore feels off to me; call me old fashioned, but IMO there’s nothing normal about spending more than a month’s rent on some shoes that are meant to not be cool.

Normcore is about standing out by blending in. It’s about wearing sneakers that are comfortable, practical, and stylish to you, because literally nobody wants to wear shoes that they actually think look bad (though an article fully devoted to late-2000s hipster footwear might reveal otherwise). Normcore is what your most unbothered guy friend wears to the grocery store; if he’s unbothered enough, he likely wears those same shoes on Tinder dates, to the baseball game, to the office, to the gym, at a nice-but-not-too-nice restaurant, to the Dead & Company show, or when he grills. They’re shoes you could get at Kohl’s, but also probably at a family-owned boutique shoe store. Bonus points if the sneakers’ colorway is a sensible white, tan, black or neutral gray.

The most important thing about normcore sneakers is that they’re eternally popular with the masses because most of them are, well, legitimately great shoes; if they weren’t, they wouldn’t be ubiquitous to the point of total cultural saturation. Indeed, the median American might not have killer taste in everything—[cough] M*rvel, St*rbucks, p*ckleball [cough]—but when it comes to footwear, the average Joe actually tends to have a pretty decent lineup. With that in mind, here are the greatest normcore sneakers, curated by your extremely normal friends here at VICE (aka your favorite regular ol’ website that covers ordinary things).

Nike Air Monarch

As long as the world remembers Michael Jordan (and I wouldn’t want to live in a world that didn’t), we’ll have Nike’s Air Monarch cross trainer—one of the most beloved normcore shoes ever made. Truly, these bad boys are squarely on the Mount Rushmore of normcore kicks. Is it because they look amazing with khakis, jeans, and shorts? Or because they’re equally powerful for everything from running to sitting? The official sneaker of the American everyman, the Air Monarch is an eternal banger of the highest order. No shoe looks finer next to a charcoal grill.

When future civilizations excavate millennial culture, Air Force 1s will appear to have the same level of significance to us that the pyramids had to the Egyptians or fedora hats had to the Greatest Generation. Songs have been sung about this shoe’s greatness. It will outlive us all.

I’m not sure whether scientists would agree, but Skechers seem like the perfect intersection of timeless streetwear style and a level of sturdiness where, if you were wearing these, a tornado couldn’t knock you over. From Gamestop to first dates (ideally those overlap), these seem at home anywhere. If you didn’t at least consider a pair of these while visiting the Skechers store at the mall in the early-2000s, you haven’t lived.

VICE staff writer and resident shoe fanatic Nicolette Accardi pointed me toward these Asics, which she lovingly reviewed. When looking for a cool new pair, she wanted something outside her usual lane (aka Hokas and Nikes). “The Asics Gel-1130 is a functional, dashing, and comfortable sneaker, and I’m stoked that I chose it to give my street shoe lineup a touch of throwback zest,” she wrote. “It may not be your typical go-to look—and it might give you a touch of dad vibes—but I think it’s honestly the epitome of cool streetwear.” Has a truer definition of normcore ever been put to paper?

Accardi also recommended the Clifton 9 by Hoka, a handsome running shoe that works everywhere from the gym to the movie theater. When its aerodynamic attractiveness combines with unique colorways like “rust/earthenware” and “vibrant orange/Impala,” this one communicates that you’re definitely normal, but also maybe not the average sporty chiller. A perfect vibe.

These have been popular since the 1960s, and with good reason: Their suede composite gives the ultimate athletic-casual look. It says, “I could be playing soccer right now, but I’m going to have a Negroni instead.”

The Adidas Superstar bridges worlds. Athletes, high school kids, old rappers, line cooks, and dads going to see The National all live together in harmony with these classic, three-stripe sneakers.

The Brooks Ghost has a spot in the pantheon of “guys who love being comfortable (and may or may not run).” There’s an air of mystery to them. You know this person enjoys the finer things in life, and is willing to shell out (but, god forbid, never overpay) for them. Amazingly, in classic normcore fashion (pun intended), the Ghosts seem like they’d be considerably more expensive than the average normcore shoe, but really aren’t.

Chuck Taylors—simply referred to as “Chucks” by normcore lifers—might be the normcore sneaker with the broadest appeal. When somebody’s wearing this one, it’s literally impossible to know who they are or what they’re doing. Are they going to a Pokémon tournament? Preparing to play a rock show at Madison Square Garden? Are they late for their shift at the pretzel stand in the mall? Those are all cool things to be doing, and all worthy of this iconic and timeless shoe.

To me, the New Balance 990 is a legendary sneaker that I’ll ride for until I no longer have use for shoes. That’s right, it’s time for an M. Night Shyamalan-level twist: I myself am a huge normcore shoe guy, and the 990 is my weapon of choice. I was initiated a few years ago, during the 990v5 era, and in that shoe found my sneaker life partner; earlier this summer, I graduated to the newer 990v6, and couldn’t be happier. It’s my daily shoe, my gym shoe, my nice dinner shoe, and my long walk shoe, all in one. I never thought I’d be a style-loyal shoe dude, but when those 990v7s drop, I’ll have my credit card ready.

Whatever kind of shoes you’re walking in, just make sure you’re walking hard.

The Rec Room staff independently selected all of the stuff featured in this story. Want more reviews, recommendations, and red-hot deals? Sign up for our newsletter.

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