In Review: The Made in Italy Good Man Brand Legend Sneaker

Good Man Brand “Legend” Sneaker – $118 ($198)

NOTE: This post is from just after the 2018 Nordy Anniversary Sale, and while the blue accent options aren’t available anymore, plenty of other options are. Ships and returns for free of course. Review below should give you an idea as to the quality you’re getting for the price. 

These are legitimately some of the nicest sneakers I’ve laid hands (and feet) on, and the fact that they’re marked down by almost 35% due to the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale is a testament to the annual mid-summer fall preview from Uncle Nordy.

Classic white sneakers with a lot of very, very nice details.

They’re a class act through and through. Made in Italy, thick but not stiff leather, fantastic details and finishing, and hugely versatile. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Stan Smiths, but $130 for an Italian made sneaker that ships and returns free? And it’s not some pre-order model (sorry Gustin) that you have to hang out for months twiddling your thumbs waiting for? That’s rare.

Just enough splashes of color. Seen, or unseen when worn.

These are from the brand that Seahawks Quarterback Russell Wilson is a part of. Like a lot of other brands these days, they’ve decided to be “more” than just a brand (and how much value you place in that is totally up to you) and donate $3 of every sale to the “Why Not” foundation.

UPDATE: It’s actually the Why Not You foundation. Big thanks to Reader Skyler A. for the important correction. The Why Not foundation is Russel Westbrook’s. Two Pro Athletes named Russel (with the initials RW) with similar sounding foundations. I knew Russel Wilson (Quarterback of the Seattle Seahawks) had a hand in Good Man Brand, but I couldn’t figure out how he and Westbrook were tied together in terms of the same foundation. I blame google auto-fill.

Branding, but it’s subtle. And classy.

In terms of styling, the brand seems to have found a real niche. Contemporary but not weird, with a focus on good materials. Think wool blend knit blazers instead of poly/cotton junk, and these made in Italy leather sneakers instead of flimsy PU garbage.

Fit seems true. My normally 10.5D feet felt great in these 10.5D sneakers right out of the box. The thickness of the leather is impressive, yet they don’t feel cumbersome or weighty. And the details. Good grief the details. The gold stamped, blue heel tab. The pair of gold/brass toned top eyelets. The tan leather insoles. I mean… I hate to gush but, STOP MAKING ME FEEL SPECIAL. YOU’RE JUST SHOES. Anyway…

Small details, like the gold tone top eyelets, make a nice difference.

Usually these run right around two hundred bucks, but during the Anniversary Sale they’ve dropped to a much more easy to justify $129.90. Yes, they’re a hell of a pair of sneakers, but a lot of us aren’t gonna spend two hundred on sneakers on principle. So if you’re that type, and you’ve got the urge to splurge, now’s a good time to jump on these before they head back up to $198 on August 5th.

Because I honestly can’t see them going on sale again anytime soon.