Put Your Best Foot Forward With The Best Common Projects Alternative

Tuesday Bote - Oct 1, 2020

There's a scene in the animated movie Ratatouille, in which the discriminating food critic Anton Ego says:

                                     

 

This is the same way we feel about what makes a great minimalist sneaker. While high fashion is not for everybody - anybody can dress fashionably, or at the very least, dress well. You don't necessarily have to wear brand name sneakers to cop a stylish look.

Even if Common Projects (CP) created the minimalist white shoe aesthetic when they launched in 2004, there are now Common Projects alternatives that work just as great!

Before we start delving into what makes a worthy Common Projects option, everybody should have it on record that the CP founders already said that they're happy that their initial Achilles model inspired the beginning for many people (other independent shoe brands).

(So much so that even Adidas was even thought to have “borrowed” CP's original design when a minimalist version of the Stan Smith came out.)

 

 

Why Common Projects Became "Cult" Shoes

There are two things that made Common Projects a white sneaker grail:

One, they introduced the casual dress sneaker that looked like luxury shoes but at a price range below the most expensive high fashion labels.

Two, they maintained an extremely low profile, and did away with advertising to let word-of-mouth expand their brand.

Common Projects remains to be a mysterious company that doesn't rely on heavy marketing; they choose to sell purely by reputation. This anti-advertising strategy is what drew serious sneakerheads and other high fashion enthusiasts in. A lot of these people wanted to maintain an exclusive hold on the minimalist sneaker aesthetic.

 

How To Get the Same Quality for Less Without Getting Hung Up About It

To find a suitable Common Projects alternative, we have to look at what makes a CP shoe distinctive, and look for those qualities in a brand that offers the same features. Original CP Achilles minimalist sneakers offer the following hallmarks  of a premium dress shoe:


1. Premium Italian Leather

CP gets its leather and completes its sneaker production from Italy. The leather is from the famous Le Marche region where most high fashion brands source and produce their leather products.

Italian leather is at the top of its class, where generations of skilled artisans produce durable and supple leather to make the most beautiful footwear.
 

2. Excellent Craftsmanship

CP is also known for making handcrafted sneakers. Their shoes are stitched and lasted by dedicated Italian cobblers.

To get these two main points for less, you need to start looking for quality leather and impeccable construction. Many shoe reviewers agree that the same quality can start at the midpoint price range below from what CP sells for.

 

What Reviewers Say About Common Projects Alternatives

Just look online and you can find colorful threads on Reddit and Styleforum to discuss the difference between Original CP and Common Projects options. Influencers and serious sneaker reviewers say that CP's main selling points are no longer exclusive to the said shoe brand.

Italian leather sneakers are now available at lower prices, together with hand-stitched construction and premium Margom soles. The only room for improvement left is how any luxury shoe can make their sneaker extra comfortable and more affordable.

Letting it All Out: How Oliver Cabell's Low 1 Matches Up to the Common Projects Achilles Low

Our initial shoe has been covered by different reviewers and the press (including The New York Times, Forbes and Highnobiety, among others) because of its comparable qualities with high end sneakers like Common Projects. Many reviewers have already noted that Oliver Cabell (OC) has similar features:


1. We offer the same premium Italian leather

We didn't just depend on word of mouth - we searched over 70 leather tanneries in Italy to find the best material for our shoes. OC leather comes from the same area as Common Projects, the Le Marche region in Italy. Our company took it a step further, and used softer calfskin leather in contrast with CP's Nappa leather, which is made from full-grown cowhide.

Our leather tannery prides itself on following the highest ethical and environmental standards to make the finest quality Italian leather.
 
2. We offer the same handmade quality, with the same premium Margom outsole

Oliver Cabell completes its sneaker production in Spain with the same hand-stitched standards. A shoe review found this to be true when he dissected our OC low 1 shoe.

Our thorough product research also extended to the rubber material used for our sneaker sole. The Italian 70 shore A rubber has the perfect balance between softness and durability.

Other Common Projects alternatives who have similar materials and construction try for the same aesthetic - but OC sets itself apart from the rest because we offer all the best features with total honesty about our markup.

We may not have launched the first minimalist white shoe, but we were one of the first to say how much a good Italian sneaker costs to make - per line item.

And this was almost unheard of, before Oliver Cabell came into the picture.

How Oliver Cabell Sneakers Differ From Common Projects Sneakers

Everybody should be happy with their shoes, and even as "perfect" as some hardcore fans think CP is, there's no denying that there's still a market for Common Projects alternatives. People are looking for the same quality but with better options for price and fit:

1. Oliver Cabell Offers Better Fit Options for Those Who Need a Slightly Wider Silhouette

CP sneakers are built with a narrower silhouette than most white sneakers. If you have a wider foot with a higher foot arch, you might find a CP shoe too tight. Comfort is a basic tenet of a good sneaker, and an expensive shoe should guarantee that.

2. OC Sneakers Gives Italian Quality Sneakers at a More Accessible Price Point

Not a lot of people are open to buying luxury items, let alone buying ”everyday” sneakers at Common Projects's price range. If you just want the same quality but are still looking to maximize value, Oliver Cabell can do the job at less than half the price of a CP shoe.

Thanks to good Common Projects alternatives is that we now have a lot more options for finding the best dress sneaker.

 

Why We Believe a Luxury Sneaker Should be Accessible

When Common Projects started, they set out to bridge the gap between dress shoes and sneakers. The idea that the sneaker could be as fashionable as a dress shoe makes it easier for anyone to dress well, even if they can’t afford high end branded items.

Don't we all deserve to dress up and look our best?

Common Projects alternatives exist because there's also a need to bridge another gap between that kind of price point and be a step above mass-market sneakers that quickly fall apart.

Now anyone can have the chance to feel as though they've put on the fanciest dress shoe.

Dressing well can give anyone a boost of confidence - with or without any cult status shoe.

And that makes you THE man/woman. Not the other way around.