Tretorn Linen Nylite – $78.00
UPDATE: Those went fast at 6pm.com Sold out in the grey at the $63 price point. And Zappos jacked the price up to $78 for the greys overnight. Damn. Also available at Amazon
If you want breathability, but don’t want to go full Birkenstock and desire to keep your toes covered, then it’s going to be hard to beat Tretorn’s linen version of their classic Nylite sneaker. Sure, classic canvas sneakers get tons of work during the warmer months (especially sockless) but these linen sneakers add a bit more visual depth, and a little less weight, for a bit more cash.
If you’re used to paying between $30 – $45 for a pair of converse or PF Flyers, then these’ll seem like a luxury. But Tretorn, the century+ old Swedish sporting rubber company (really, that was their wheelhouse… DUNKER GUMMI!) seems to really have done their best with construction and extras on these.
They’re super light. Featherweights. The soles are supportive and deep, but don’t feel… thick & bricky (which is either an awesome, or incredibly dreadful band name). The linen uppers are lined on the inside, but unlike the cotton lined back half, the front half of the foot is lined with what appears to be some kind of synthetic, breathable mesh. Hold em’ up to the sky, look down towards the toe, and you’ve got daylight down there. Ventilation! We’ve got ventilation!
Eyelets are metal-reinforced on both sides with a white enamel-like substance on the top side. You get two pairs of laces with the shoes, one being rawhide leather, the other being a matching tonal cotton. The Tretorn boomerang logo sweep on the side matches the rawhides, while the vamp’s toe-to-tongue accent stripes match the cotton laces.
One concern would be durability on the uppers. Sure they’re lightweight, but will they hold up to abrasion and possible tears during the active summer months? The scraping of a bike pedal, scuffing against a concrete bench, or the gradual wear of sand at the beach… it all might take a toll on the linen. Or, maybe the uppers on these linen Nylites will hold up just as well as canvas. Adding them to the long-term-test pile. Time will tell.
Liked them until now, because I had only seen the side view – that bicycle toe is a deal-breaker.
These look amazing…hopefully my pair will get here in time for me to rock them when I see Thick and Bricky in a few weeks!
I’m very drawn to these. I almost picked up a pair as my first dapper summer shoes, but I thought a pair of Flyers Center Lo would be a better start. These will definitely be a welcome addition in the coming months, though…
“…thick & bricky (which is either an awesome, or incredibly dreadful band name)”
It’d pretty much have to be a Jethro Tull cover band:
I’m usually more of a classic sneaker cap-toe dude myself (not a plimsoll fan) but I think these work. But yes, there’s some funk there.
Check out the Otto then. Same thing with with a moc-toe boat shoe thing going on.
I really want to like these, but those toe-to-tongue stripes kill the look for me. I prefer a more classic, cap-toe sneaker like Converse All Stars or Adidas Superstars.
I’ve never really noticed a huge problem with breathability when it comes to canvas sneakers. I’ll probably stick to those $18 throwaways from Urban Outfitters.
Sold out in blue and $58 in tan or red at 6pm.com and showing $78 at Zappos for me, sadly. Was hoping to pull the trigger on these.
i prefer the tan ones on 6pm’s site (which are showing for $58.50 and free shipping, now). guess the blue ones are gone.
also, i think thick & bricky was my favorite black keys album.
I really like the look, but the bicycle toe is a deal breaker for me as well. If you want a similar look, AEO has a more classic plimsol in blue chambray with boot laces.
http://www.ae.com/web/browse/product.jsp?productId=0214_6234_523&catId=cat3130054
Son of a gun. They sold out fast (they were showing all sizes at 6pm.com available yesterday) and the price got jacked up at Zappos. Updated above.
That’s the inventory and market-moving power of Dappered!
I dislike Tretorn shoes. They remind me of bowling shoes.
ok.
Yup…6pm just got dappereded…
Thank you very much for the tip, Dean. I checked out the Tretorn Otto’s and found a pair from the Tretorn website for $33 on sale. Here’s a link for the lazy: http://bit.ly/1it9z5S
And here they are on Zappos: http://www.zappos.com/tretorn-otto-canvas
I’ve got the tan canvas ones that J.Crew put out almost two years ago. Hands down one of the most comfortable sneaker I’ve worn, next to my New Balance Fresh Foams. I would highly recommend them. And now that they come in a lighter linen, well, I’ll be picking these up, too.
These are getting some hate, but I kinda like them. The linen probably keeps the old dogs pretty cool and comfortable. The grey ones would go well with khakis, the tan ones with jeans, the red ones with shorts. The bicycle/bowling-shoe look doesn’t put me off because it is a casual shoe. It’s the hideous Tretorn “swoosh” thing that stops me from purchasing. I know it’s their trademark or whatever, but they could’ve made it in the same color/material as the rest of the upper.
I agree. That top view is just terrible.
Joe,
Is there anything like these types of casual summer shoe that doesn’t have the large glaring white sole, which to me creeps up too much on all these types of shoes. However, I am in the need of something besides a driver or boat shoe. Thanks.
Design Parachute dP Whites, Browns, or Blacks. So simple, yet stylish
These maybe? Still a large sole, but not white.
https://www.seavees.com/products/08-slash-63-hermosa-plimsoll-bocce-herringbone-twill/military-olive#.U16swfldUaA
Or these?
https://www.seavees.com/products/08-slash-61-todd-snyder-army-issue-low-herringbone/navy#.U16sx_ldUaA
I agree, that swoosh is a dealbreaker. But there are probably enough simple plimsolls out there that they want to spice it up a bit to differentiate themselves. It’s just unfortunate that they did it in that way. But obviously some people love ’em so oh well.
THAT’S a deal breaker? I swear, I just don’t see half the stuff some of you guys see. Well, I mean I see it, but.
And really, who would want to pretend to be him?
Nice shoes. A warning on seavees though: the toe box is VERY short. And by short, I mean on the Y axis. From ground to sky. Not a lot of distance between the sole and the upper. Some find it uncomfortably slim.
Online, the bicycle toe stands out. In person, I imagine the toe would just provide visual interest. This is the sort of shoe I don’t think I’d ever order seeing it online, but I could totally see getting compliments on it.
Yeah I prefer a thinner looking sole
How do we feel about Keds? Always though they were girls shoes but they look pretty good. Wish they had a tan option
http://www.keds.com/store/SiteController/keds/menschampionoriginals/5-166830/catId/cat610201/stockNumber/MF32848/skuId/***5********MF32848*M090/subCatId/cat610229/showDefaultOption/true/productdetails
Well Joe, I’ll explain it in a way that you’d definitely understand: it’s like a polo shirt with an insignia on it.
A fine try, but that doesn’t line up in my feeble brain.
Athletic shoes are like watches, the vast majority have logos on them. The converse star, the PF Flyers patch on the heel, etc…
Maybe it’s because it’s more visible, but a chest high logo on a polo tends to project more “I bought this brand because of the brand” (fairly or unfairly) Plus, nobody knows what tretorn is really. So the logo isn’t really projecting any certain ideal (prepiness, wealth, or faux preppiness/wealth)
We can agree to disagree.
It’s like if a new polo company came out with a polo with a goose on it. Nobody knows what DaGoose is really, so it doesn’t project any certain ideal. But I think we still won’t find you wearing it.
Like I said, we can agree to disagree. It’s not the same, it’s not as in your face, and who says I don’t wear polos with logos on them? i.e. original penguin. And… who cares what I wear?
And again, athletic shoes usually have logos on them. Let’s not overthink it guys. That’s really my point. They’re just a pair of sneakers.
I guess I wasn’t looking at it as an athletic shoe, I was looking at it as a casual shoe. So I guess if that’s the case…we’re both right? LoL
Haha. You’re right. I just like endless arguing. But I still don’t like those sneakers.
Never try a Tretorn before, this pair is pretty decent looking.
Is this a good shoe to wear sockless in summer?