Sneakers and coffee are a match made in heaven (so long as you’re careful about the spills). And the two worlds have never been closer together: from sneaker-themed cafes (like Portland’s Deadstock Coffee), to sneaker brands opening incredible coffee bars (like Atmos in Tokyo or Sneaker Laundry in Glasgow), to the collision of sneaker fashion and coffee culture at massive events like SCA Expo, Tokyo Coffee Festival, and ComplexCon (and the list goes on).
But this is nothing new for sneaker brands. From Nike to Adidas to Diadora and New Balance, brands have long looked to coffee’s colorways and culture for design inspiration, and coffee search terms yield hundreds of results on sneaker resale sites like Stadium Goods, Grailed, and GOAT. For the purposes of this article we hunted out a half-dozen or so favorites from StockX, the sneaker resale sensation where shoes are tracked and traded around the world like market stocks. Whatever your taste is in footwear and coffee, there’s something here for you. (Just don’t buy out my size, okay?)
Jordan 3 Retro Mocha (2018) — via StockX
Arguably the coolest “coffee shoe” of 2018, the Jordan 3 Retro Mocha dropped in December of last year to rave reviews (and much Instagramming). Modeled off Nike’s 2001 Jordan brand release, this shoe features a lustrous coffee-inspired mocha leather colorway on the heel, toe, sole, and logo, offset by white and chrome evoking a dollop of whipped cream on top. I really dig this shoe’s Jumpman logo—he’s jumping for a mocha!
Diadora S800 “Espresso Ristretto” — via StockX
It’s no surprise that Italian sneaker brand Diadora (based in Treviso, just north of Venice) would draw on Italy’s proud history of coffee obsession and innovation. Originally released in AW 2105, this is another “retro”, inspired by the company’s early 90s S800 line of runners. This shoe was entirely made in Italy at Diadora’s Caerano San Marco factory, with quality and detail that speaks to generations of Italian craftsmanship. And while the colorway isn’t swathed in brown, it does evoke pleasant espresso tasting notes: think clean and structured, with tonal herbal hints.
Diadora V7000 x Footpatrol “Macchiato” — via StockX
Another one from Diadora, this time by way of London’s famed Footpatrol sneaker boutique (now with a second location in Paris). Like a La Marzocco on the bar of a busy Soho coffee shop, the pairing works. Released on Black Friday 2016, This one features draws again from retro Diadora, fusing a luscious coffee-and-milk beige suede with a tongue sporting the traditional Italian tricolore and Foot Patrol’s logo subtly embossed on the side heel. Extremely limited in production, this shoe actually dropped as part of a capsule with a shirt (just okay) and track pants (extremely good), seen here via Sneaker News.
Nike SB Dunk Low “Coffee Lovers” — via StockX
Nike’s skateboarding division put these stunners out back in 2016 replete with trademark chunky laces, a Pacific Northwest forest green upper, and a dream swirl of khaki and brown tones on the toe meant to evoke a nice cuppa. These shoes are s h o c k i n g l y slept on by coffee shoe heads, and make perhaps the strongest value buy on this list (they’re going for around half of their 2016 retail price right now on StockX).
Adidas Tubular Invader “Flat White” — via StockX
The Flat White does not exist—but the Adidas Tubular Invader “Flat White” most assuredly does. These strappy jams evoke some of the more far-out techno fashion coming out of the House of Three Stripes, without veering into full-on Yeezy territory. They also aren’t priced like Yeezys, which is nice—StockX has ’em for around $60. But maybe consider swapping out the laces?
Saucony “Avocado Toast” — via StockX
If the question is “cop or drop,” these are going to have to be a firm “drop” from me, but no coffee sneaker list is complete without including Saucony’s 2018 “Avocado Toast” release. We dutifully mocked-slash-requested freebies from Saucony late last year, but never heard anything back, which is a shame. Because everyone knows it’s not really cafe breakfast keeping the millennials from home ownership—it’s all these damn sneakers!
Jordan Michelman (@suitcasewine) is a co-founder and editor at Sprudge Media Network. Read more Jordan Michelman on Sprudge.
Editor’s note: Jordan Michelman’s opinion on footwear does not reflect the opinion of Sprudge Media Network or its editorial staff.
Disclosure: StockX is not currently part of the Sprudge Media Network advertising program, and Sprudge was in no way compensated for this links-laden post that in retrospect kind of looks like advertorial. However, should someone from StockX read this article and be inspired to reach out with a coupon code, please get in touch.
