Cole Haan made a pair of dress shoes that sneaker lovers can wear to work
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If you love sneakers, there's a good chance that you've been loving them for a long time. Unfortunately, there comes a time when you reach a certain age and can't wear sneakers every day.
When it comes to wearing sneakers professionally, they oftentimes don't make the cut for footwear because of changes in personal style or a strict dress code at work.
While some people can effectively get away with wearing sneakers with a suit, most people can't. For the longest time, there was never a real middle ground in between sneakers and dress shoes, until now — the Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford.
Building off of the original ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford, a shoe we named as the most comfortable shoes you can wear to the office, the 2.ZERØGRAND version is a shoe that the truest of sneaker fans will love.
To make the shoes as genuine as possible, Cole Haan teamed up with Staple Design, a streetwear brand that's collaborated on numerous sneakers over its 20 years of existence. The modernized oxfords features a knit upper, similar to the material you'd find on sneakers from big-name sportswear companies, while still maintaining a classic wingtip design. Staple's signature New York City pigeon colorway is represented with a combination of grays, white, and pink.
Cole Haan laced me with a pair of the Staple Design 2.ZERØGRANDs and as a sneaker collector, I was more than excited to try them out.
If I could wear sneakers for every occasion, I would. With the Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND I can essentially do just that.
While many dress shoes are heavy, bulky, and made with hard materials on the midsoles like wood or stacked leather, the Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND is the complete opposite. Its knit upper makes it super lightweight. On the inside, you'll find dynamic energy foam insole just as good, if not better, than top-of-the-line performance sneakers.
The best part about these shoes is that there is no break-in time required. Most dress shoes must be worn a few times in order to be comfortable, but for me, that's a few wears too many. These use outsoles made of a very flexible rubber. My range of motion wasn't restricted whatsoever, and they grip just like sneakers. Some of the best-looking dress shoes fail in terms of wearability from their lack of grip. I feel confident wearing the 2.ZERØGRAND anywhere.
At $300, the average price for a high-quality dress shoe, the Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND offers the looks of a wingtip oxford with the comfort and feel of sneakers. As the best of both worlds, it is an option well worth the money. For sneaker lovers, the Staple Design pair will allow you to dress for the office, while remembering streetwear roots.
If you're after a more traditional look over the Staple collaboration, there are several options in leather and Nubuck to also consider.
Shop all Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxfords now.
Check out some of the best pairs below.
Staple x Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND Stitchlite
Cole Haan
Buy the Staple x Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND Stitchlite now, $300
Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND in leather
Cole Haan
Buy the Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND in British Tan leather now, $300
Cole Haan 2.ZERØGRAND in Nubuck
Cole Haan