Hello Stan Smiths, My Old Friends

For much of the last year I’d been nursing a growing, slightly shameful obsession. Tucked into buried browser windows and incognito tabs were pages and pages of the same guilty pleasure: a crisp white pair of Adidas Stan Smith sneakers.

Why the shame? I’ve seen the Stans all over New York, but not on the feet of the fashion crowd. Instead, they’re worn by relaxed bros in technical chinos and camp collar shirts—dudes who aren’t dressed badly, but aren’t actively trying to inspire…