Boy, Paul Newman Really Liked These $80 Sneakers

Few guys deserve their place within the pantheon of fashion greats greater than Paul Newman. His watches set auction records, his sun shades stay perennial moodboard fodder, even his assortment of beat-to-death dad hats recently fetched close to ten grand at Sotheby’s. However Newman’s personal closet (sorry) is not the place his contributions to menswear lore ends—his common strategy to getting dressed has lengthy been a template for fellas trying to dial in, or pare down, their private model. 

Within the early 2010s, when guys had been nonetheless obsessing over waxed jackets and selvedge denims, you couldn’t scroll via Tumblr with out encountering a photograph of Newman in a wonderfully rumpled Oxford shirt, striped nautical tee, slim khakis, and dainty canvas sneakers. His model remains to be so revered, the truth is, that mentioned canvas kicks offered for properly over a $1,000 at that very same Sotheby’s public sale earlier this month—a mind-boggling sum of money to drop on sneakers that solely value 80 bucks right this moment. 

So whereas we’re with regards to menswear historical past, right here’s slightly enjoyable reality: The sneakers Newman wore virtually completely all through his life come from Sperry, the New England-based model well-known for its genre-defining boat shoes. Sperry truly launched the CVO (or “Round Vamp Oxford”) a full 12 months earlier than it debuted the yach-ready High-Sider, and it was the CVO that caught on first among the many US Navy, along with model gods like JFK and the king of cardigans himself, Mr. Rogers.

The CVO’s enchantment is fairly apparent: it boasts no splashy logos, no tech-age materials, and no additional paneling or ergonomic curves past what’s solely essential to maintain your foot in place and assist stop premature slips, whether or not you’re hopping aboard a schooner or hustling to a brunch reservation after a lightweight summer time bathe. In contrast to Newman’s sought-after Rolexes, there’s nothing “grail-worthy” about it, which is precisely why, almost 90 years after its debut, you’d be hard-pressed to seek out sneakers that supply the identical versatility for the worth. 

Greater than that, although, they go a great distance in explaining Newman’s rarified place within the menswear psyche. The man knew what he preferred, caught with the classics, and rarely tried to catch no matter style wave was cresting within the second. You may name that indelible mixture of style and confidence “true model”—however even when you do not, you can in all probability study a factor or two from his loyal dedication to decidedly non-swerve-y kicks.