Common Projects Achilles Sole
- Thick, good quality Italian rubber
- Stitched and cemented to upper with Stroebel stitching
- More durable than standard sneaker construction
The upper is attached to a one-piece rubber Margom sole, which can take a beating without crumbling and wearing away like most sneaker soles its really thick and great quality Italian rubber, with Gear Patrolcalling Margom,
a revered Italian brand creates many of the outsoles for top luxury footwear brands because they genuinely are the best of the best.
Its attached with whats called sidewalk stitching or Stroebel construction, a mixture of cementing and stitching which is super rare. Most sneakers have the sole glued, on this is glued andstitched, with the stitching being the main method of attachment. That means maybe, possibly you could get these resoled when the time comes. Maybe.
More importantly, as I mentioned earlier, it means that with age you wont get holes around the toe break like every other sneaker you own.
- Thick, soft leather footbed
- Surprisingly heavy sole
There are four reasons the fit & sizing is a bit of a pain in the ass with Common Projects:
After a very long deliberation I wound up going with the 45s: today theyre a hair small, but they stretched a teeny tiny bit and theyre still comfy as all hell.
Common Projects Achilles Price
Theres no getting around the fact that these are expensive shoes, usually costing between $400 and $450.
Look, I get it. Theyre expensive, and there are similar shoes from New Republic and Kent Wang that look pretty similar, but Ive seen older pairs of those shoes and they simply arent as durable. Its different leather and different craftmanship. Common Projects really will age the best and out of the many alternatives out there, while some come close to replicating the style, they are not going to hold up as well over time.
There are a lot of little things they do, like the fact that the sole is stitched down to prevent it from coming apart, the high quality leather is easier to take care of, the outsole is renowned for its quality, and so on.
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The breakthrough model for Common Projects is widely known as the Achilles a low-profile sneaker that riffs off the aesthetic of classic sportswear staples like the Adidas Stan Smith, Converse Chuck Taylor and Puma Gazelle, only to upgrade the materials drastically and drop conventional big branding.
The Common Projects Achilles features its signature gold labeling across the heel portion of the upper. These 10 golden digits on the upper distinguish the model number through the first four integers, the European shoe size via the next two numbers and lastly the color code on the final four. While this delicate denoting appears on an array of Common Projects models, it is viewed by some as a defining attribute to the Common Projects Achilles only because of the models mass popularity.
Over the years, the Common Projects Achilles has been revered in the world of menswear, bridging the gap between hyped sneaker culture and lavish runway fashion as a muted midway point. Running roughly $400 a pair, the Common Projects Achilles comes in at a price thats higher than an Adidas Stan Smith or even an Air Jordan 1 Low.
Throughout the 2010s, the Common Projects Achilles became incredibly popular, stocked at over 200 retailers around the world.
While the world races to chase the latest trend, keep up with the industry or even make a quick buck, Common Projects proves more poised than some of its peers, offering its opinion only when asked and driving smoothly in its own lane.
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Common Projects Pros & Cons
- Can be worn with any outfit
- Stitched sole
- Toe box quite shallow and narrow
- Sizing is tricky
- Can be stuffy in hot weather
- Phenomenally expensive
Good God, these shoes are cool.
Theyre just the coolest shoes. The whole breezy but dressy, casual but formal, minimalist but unmistakably branded look, from top to bottom there just isnt anything quite like them. They go with every single outfit, it doesnt matter how casual or formal it is.
I love the fact that the upper is stitched to the sole so you wont get the dreaded toebreak holes.
Theyre very comfortable, I love the softness of the footbed coupled with the weight and durability of the sole.
Now, theyre not sneakers exactly. That word has connotations of beat around shoes you dont have to care for, you know? Common Projects need shoe trees, for goodness sake they need more babying than the average sneaker out there, which is a turn off to some folks.
Its also too slim and sleek for some people, not only in its width, but the toebox is quite shallow and narrow, squeezing the toes of the bigger-footed among us. They should do half sizes and wider widths, and they dont.
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Common Projects Achilles Aesthetic
- Streamlined and slim
This is the simple mans sneaker.
The Achilles has an incredibly clean design. Its completely free from branding the companys name doesnt even appear on the tongue or the sole. The only bit of design is the iconic gold foil stamp on the outside heel, which is the style, size, and color of the shoe.
Sure, some feel the gold foil stamp is incongruent with the minimalist aesthetic, others love it because it glamourizes something so simple and mundane that its normally only found on the inside of your shoes on the tag.
Otherwise, its a totally monochromatic shoe that manages to be as low key as it is luxurious. Meticulously designed with nice, smooth, white leather overlaid with leather eyelet panels running from the forefoot to the ankle collar, theres also a minimal ankle tab above a seam that splits the leather at the back of the shoe, running up the center of the heel.
White suede lines the inside of the heel for some added traction on rear of the foot, and the rest of the inside is lined with white smooth leather.
A big selling point that some people might miss is that the sole is actually stitched onto the upper. Its glued as well, but that stitching means that you wont get those dreaded holes at the toebreak that so many cheaper sneakers eventually develop, and its one of many very subtle ways the sneakers tell you that they are not your average kicks.
High Snobiety had this great review where the author Aleks Eror said,
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Review: Is Common Projects The Goat White Sneaker
The GOAT.
The apex.
The pinnacle of white sneakerdom.
The greatest white sneaker of all time, thats what people say about the legendary and phenomenally expensive Achilles low sneaker from Common Projects and if youre reading this, your question is probably this: are they worth the eye watering price of $400+?
Well, friend, youve come to the right place. I did not get these shoes for free, this is not a paid post, I picked these up at the Nordstroms in Columbus Circle here in New York City and I felt the gut punch to my wallet just like you would.
Ive been wearing these sneakers on and off for several months so you and I can properly explore the super clean, timeless, sleek, youthful-yet-very-grown-up Achilles low sneaker from the very mysterious footwear company called Common Projects.
- Started by a New York art director and Italian creative consultant
- No money spent on marketing
- Cult-like following
Common Projects started in 2004 as a collaboration between Prathan Peter Poopat, an art director in New York City, and Flavio Girolami, an Italian creative consultant.
If you can believe it, even though its the most talked about white sneaker on Earth and its the cornerstone of every outfit on the malefashionadvice subreddit, the company has never spent a dollar on advertising.
On top of that, their website is complete dogsh*t , is hideous and seldom updated, they really do absolutely nothing to market except let the product itself fuel word of mouth.
Original Achilles White Leather Sneakers
£315.00
Punctuate your relaxed style with a pair of Common Projects Original Achilles. These bright
Style Notes
SKU No.: SC139566
- Common Projects white leather sneakers
- Gold designer-stamped serial number, rubber sole, round toe
- Lace-up front
- Only available in full sizes, go down to the nearest whole size if you take a half size
Brand Bio
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Original Achilles Low Leather Sneakers
read moreShipping informationLeather
DeliveryYour order will be handled with care by our dedicated team and shipped with PostNL or UPS. Delivery time within Europe is 3 to 5 business days and outside Europe 4 to 6 business days. Shipping rates will be calculated automatically during checkout. Enjoy free delivery to addresses within the Benelux, free delivery on orders over 500 within Europe, and free worldwide shipping on orders over 1.000.Exchanges & Returns You can exchange or return items free of charge within 14 days of receipt in one of our stores, at a UPS Access Point or let UPS collect it from your addresss. Items should be returned complete and unworn in their original packaging.We are happy to help Our Customer Care is on hand to answer all your questions. Send a message via our chat, email to or call or WhatsApp us at +31 20 722 0 681.
Product code
How To Clean And Care For Common Projects Achilles
- Clean regularly with damp rag
- Occasionally brush with horsehair brush and use leather cleaner
- Use white leather crema for scuffs, like Saphir or Kellys
- Magic eraser on the sole
- Use shoe trees
Cleanliness is next to godliness, and it says a lot about a man if his sneakers are white and spotless. Boys like their sneakers beat up and dirty, but do not be that guy who spends $400 on shoes and lets them get ugly. Keep them as clean as you can itll extend their lifespan and make you look like a guy who gives a damn.
The good news is that this is smooth leather, so there arent many places for dirt to get trapped and its easy to wipe them down with just a damp rag now and then.
Sometimes theyll be a bit too dirty for that, so when it comes to cleaning them:
Treat them well and theyll last you at least five years, maybe more.
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