Not every occasion calls for a dress shoe—think wingtips or loafers—but there’s always room for a little polish, even in sneakers. Brown kicks tend to get overlooked, but they’re some of the most versatile in the game.
Always up for a style challenge, we’re putting Good Man Brand’s Pebble Grain Legend London sneakers in Espresso to the test—styling them two ways. The real challenge? Narrowing down the number of looks these can complete.
With their rich espresso hue, textured pebble grain leather, and clean white soles, these sneakers are made for the guy who loves a classic dress shoe—but knows and enjoys dressing down.
Suited
Shop – Legend London Sneaker in Espresso – Good Man Brand
The suit and sneaker combo: it’s been sparking debates in the menswear community for over two decades. Some swear by it, others can’t stand it. But here’s the truth—it’s just clothes. Let’s not take it too seriously.
That said, how you execute this look makes all the difference. When done right, it’s effortless, modern, and sharp without trying too hard. When done wrong… well, it can look like you got dressed in the dark.
Here’s we took a more advance approach by pairing these espresso Legend London sneakers with a grey & white seersucker suit. Yes, it was a left field suit choice — but, there are few reason why it works.
- Color Choice – pairing these espresso brown sneakers with the mid grey & white stripes of the suit is a Style 101 move that works every time.
- Complementary Hues: the navy knit polo and the brown sneakers complement each other like peanut butter & jelly. In the menswear world, these are two of the three “Holy Trinity” colors (the other being white/off-white)
- Sole Power – the contrasting white soles give these sneakers a bright, sporty look without coming off too athletic. This keeps the outfit casual, but, still put together.
- Texture – the texture of the seersucker and the pebble grain of the sneakers complement each other in the best way possible. Both adding depth to the look that you wouldn’t normally get from pairing these sneakers with a worsted wool suit.
Smart Casual
Shop – Legend London Sneaker in Espresso – Good Man Brand
Taking the smart casual approach, we paired the Legend London sneaker with a tailored white denim jean, light-wash denim shirt and an artful interpretation of a camo patterned jacket (the Holy Trinity of colors).
The choice of fabrics, patterns and lack of neckwear pushes this look into smart casual — rather than “full casual”.
- Color Choice – once again, working with complementary colors. Specifically earth-tones makes this outfit an easy layup when paired with these espresso colored kicks.
- Inspiration – for those of you that have pay attention to #MENSWEAR or Pitt Uomo, you’ve seen the stylish Italian gents gracing the streets of Firenze. While they’re completely suited up they often pair those tailored looks with a casual sneakers like these are it works perfectly.
- Complementary Color – The brown and green hues in the jacket, directly complement the sneakers. And, with the white pants acting as a spacial blank canvas – each item gets to shine on their own without put too much entire away from the look as a whole
- Texture – take note of how the pebble grain of the sneakers complement the white denim jeans. In the end, texture needs texture.
Bonus Tip
Guy often have an issue finding the right sneaker to pair with a tailored short. Well these are your answer. With a slightly substantial sole and structured upper, their presence holds up with a pair of shorts.
