About the Author: Adam Terry is a thirtysomething business analyst in the construction industry. He enjoys whiskey, watches, boots/shoes, and working on his dad bod father figure.
In the midst of these seemingly unending dog days of Summer, I often look for lighter and more comfortable sneakers to pair with my typical warm weather get-up of a breezy knit polo shirt and chino-like athletic shorts. As I look to expand the options in my arsenal beyond simple white leather sneakers and grey athletic trainers, I’ve been on the hunt for something different. Something that’s a bit more interesting both visually and stylistically that I can dress up a touch when necessary. At a recent menswear meetup with friends, I ran across this pair of olive green suede Vans and they sparked a bit of inspiration. I could see them being incredibly versatile in my wardrobe, which mainly consists of items in warmer shades of earth tones like browns, tans, greens, and of course, a bucket of different shades of blue. Let’s check these things out.
J. Crew carries two color options of the Vans 44 Suede Sneakers:
Baritone Blue and Sea Turtle. Note that in real life the green is far more muted than what is shown on J. Crew’s site.
An elevated, upgraded take on a classic skate sneaker from the 1970’s
My pair of Vans “44” sneakers was ordered online on a Monday morning. They were boxed up and shipped out the next day via UPS SurePost and were delivered on Thursday afternoon.
FYI: As a J.Crew Passport rewards “gold tier” member, expedited (UPS SurePost/Ground) shipping is free. Returns and exchanges can be made within 30 days, but note that while returns in store are free, returns via mail will incur a $7.50 fee for their shipping label.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Easy ordering online, fast and trackable shipping, and simple returns.
This pair arrived in a navy blue Vans Off The Wall shoe box. Inside, my shoes were sitting on top of the typical tissue paper normally used for wrapping each shoe up, as well as the tissue paper used for stuffing inside each shoe to maintain shape. Odd. Taking a closer look at the sneakers themselves, they had already been laced up and the soles looked like they might have been previously tried on or worn for a short amount of time. That’s not usually an issue, but this particular pair had some red candy residue stuck to one shoe (editor’s note: damn rugrats) and lots of carpet fuzz. On the plus side, these sneakers do ship with an extra set of laces. Since my pair was in “Sea Turtle” green, my extra laces are a similar shade of subdued olive green and looked fantastic laced up.
Score: 4/5 Stars – Simple unboxing, but the shoes arrived pre-worn and with residue.
All the greens, so you can try and decide for yourself exactly what shade of green “sea turtle” is.
(Review of that tote bag can be found here.)
Fresh out of the box, I really enjoy the velvety texture of this richly saturated olive green suede. While Vans has nicknamed this shade Sea Turtle green, it leans warmer and denser like an earthy forest green or the color that you might associate with petrichor, that familiar smell that’s ever present during Summer and Fall where rain hits soil after an extended dry spell. The suede nap helps to add another layer of depth and color variegation to the effect. I place value on these characteristics over a slab of singular, drab color that’s frequently found on dyed canvas.
Nice nap to the suede. Thick cotton laces. Tall rubber sidewalls.
Style wise, these are going to pair well with super casual outfits like those found in our beloved Shorts, Sneakers, and T-shirts series. If you’re like me and love mixing sneakers with business casual items, I would try pairing these with an Oxford cloth button-down shirt and a pair of casual chinos in place of your loafers or boat mocs. If you’re a bolder person than me and like wearing sneakers with your casual suiting made from cotton chino, linen, or open weave tropical wool fabrics, these would be a fantastic choice to dial it down one formality level.
Rich suede, contrasting stitching and tonal leather serve to elevate these casual sneakers.
Design wise, these five-eyelet, low top sneakers are essentially an elevated, upgraded take on a classic skate sneaker from the 1970’s. The pig suede upper, thick cotton laces, taller and glossier rubber sidewall, and tonal foxing tape around the perimeter help keep this design simple, but aesthetically pleasing and stylistically versatile. A tonal leather strip out back helps add another interesting layer to the pancake as well. Note that these sneakers have a low height, so if you’re used to wearing no-show socks with sneakers, they may be exposed.
Peering inside, the lining is some form of soft twill fabric. The removable insole unit is made from dense Sola foam, an anti-fatigue “all day comfort” rubber compound that you’ve probably experienced before where it’s used in those squishy kitchen or bathroom mats. Vans says that their foam blend is made with 30% bio-based plant material. While I can’t speak to the material science side of things, I can tell you that the insole is very comfortable and could possibly be “all day comfortable” for most folks. They’re among the most comfortable insoles I’ve used.
The removable insole is made from dense Sola foam, very comfortable for all day wear.
The outsole is the quintessential Vans waffle pattern rubber outsole with a surprising amount of grip for “normal” non-hiking sneakers. I’ve been known to wear through these outsoles within a year or so of regular wear, but that’s because of excessive heel drag and not a quality issue. At the end of the day, these are still casual and (in the grand scheme of things) inexpensive shoes.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Lovely suede uppers, very comfortable foam rubber insoles. Waffles!
Grippy rubber soles with the classic Vans waffle pattern.
In terms of fit and sizing, I recommend trying your true-to-size Brannock measurement. I tried this pair in an 11 based on some previous pairs of Vans that I wear and these were slightly too long and plenty wide for me. I’d suggest starting at your normal Brannock measurement size and then adjust up or down depending on how your individual feet measure up heel to toe.
For size reference, I consider myself a 10.5 D on a Brannock device (10.5 heel to ball, 11 heel to toe with high arches). For roomier lasts like Alden’s Barrie or Grant Stone’s Leo, I take a half-size down to 10 D. For “true to size” lasts, like Allen Edmond’s 65 last, I tend to go TTS with a 10.5 D. For sneakers, I prefer a 10.5 with Converse and an 11 with Nike, Adidas, etc.
Comfort is always subjective, but I find most low top sneakers like these to be pretty comfortable. The Vans All Day Comfort anti-fatigue foam insoles are doing some work to help keep my feet feeling like they are floating on little waffle-backed clouds. The pig suede and fabric lining feel soft against bare feet, so you shouldn’t expect a ton of break-in time.
Score: 5/5 Stars – Runs true to size for me and comfort is great for low top sneakers.
Soft twill fabric lines the inside of the Vans 44 Suede Sneakers.
Wrapping this one up is simple enough. If you’re in the market for a clean, simple, yet surprisingly sophisticated pair of casual sneakers, you should definitely check out the Vans Premium Authentic “44” model in this plush pig suede. The upper suede feels like velvet, the squishy removable insole truly carries all day comfort, and the waffle design sole is grippy. Style wise, these elevated skater sneakers look fantastic with a wide variety of warm weather outfits and can be dressed down with tees and shorts or dressed up (a touch, they’re still sneakers) when paired with a linen or cotton chino suit in a super casual and relaxed cut. For under $90 shipped to your door, I think these are well deserving of a spot in your closet.
Cheers!
Avg. Score: 4.75/5.00 – Highly recommended! Stylish, comfortable, and fun to wear.
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