I don’t know why I would ever doubt Everlane. Pretty much everything they put out garners rave reviews online—and that includes here at The Inventory. In the past, we’ve heaped praise on the brand’s jeans, jackets, chinos, and more. But I’ll admit, I was mildly skeptical when Everlane announced that they were veering off into sneaker territory. That was silly of me.
Tread, an Everlane off-shoot, launched in April with their unisex Trainers for $98 in seven colors: Butter, Blush, Off-White, Black, Navy, Glacier, and Grey. The monochrome style is definitely cool, but also sort of ugly—in a cool way. The “dad sneaker” trend isn’t anything new, but I wasn’t sure if I, a devotee of pretty tried and true sneaker brands like Vans, Reebok, and Adidas, was actually ready to partake in it. Anyway, if I was going to go for it, I decided I’d really go for it and test out what I perceived to be the boldest color of the bunch—the golden Butter hue—even though I had no idea what I’d wear with them. Plus, in a more neutral hue, like Off-White, I’m not sure these sneakers would turn any heads, especially considering there’s no visible branding present.
Everlane graciously mailed me my very own Trainers to try, and upon their arrival, I’ll admit I was impressed. The shoe looks really nice in person; I’d say that with its mix of materials and slight platform, it’s a perfect happy medium between regular monochrome plain sneaker and chunky dad sneaker, and it somehow manages to look trendy without being outrageously conspicuous—which incidentally is Everlane’s speciality. I happened to be wearing an olive green sweater and black jeans on the day I got them, and was somewhat surprised to find they didn’t completely clash with my outfit. Butter is the new neutral—who knew?
Apart from the looks, the main draw of the Trainers is their sustainability factor. Everlane is marketing its mission with Tread as “the path to the lowest impact sneaker.” That means they use recycled and natural rubber instead of plastic for the shoe’s sole, leather from a Gold-certified tannery, and laces and linings from recycled plastic bottle. Everlane’s even purchasing carbon offsets for any emissions that they can’t eliminate in the production process. And finally, the sneakers are “designed to be worn every day—and actually made to last,” so they shouldn’t find their way to the landfill anytime soon. I can’t really speak to that last point yet; I don’t wear the trainers every day. But I can say that they are a sturdy shoe that does necessitate some wearing in, which to me speaks positively to the quality of the materials.
The Trainer likely won’t be the only product from Tread by Everlane for long, but for now, it’s become a welcome, stand-out addition to my sneaker rotation. I might not be a dad-sneaker-wearing fashionista, but I do feel like an environmentally-conscious sophisticate when I lace them up, which is basically all of Everlane in a nutshell.