NY Sneakers Gen 2

Our notes

Welcome to the Gen 2 NY Sneaker.

The NY has been in our permanent collection since 2015. We have kept the classic silhouette the same, but rebuilt everything else as we learn and refine how to make the perfect vegan sneaker.

The sole runs unbroken from the stitched sidewall through to the ground. The cupsole is built as a single cup (100% rubber) that the upper sits down inside, then stitched through the wall rather than glued to it, which holds the shape of the shoe over years of wear. Grippy underfoot and lightweight — 870g a pair in the men's, 680g in the women's.

That lightness comes from how the upper is built. Gen 2 is Strobel construction — the upper is stitched to a soft fabric base that runs the full length of the foot, then set into the cupsole. It's how proper sneakers and trainers are made, and it does two things: there's no rigid board underfoot, so the shoe flexes with your foot from the first wear rather than needing breaking in, and there's less weight in the middle of the shoe where you feel it most.

Inside you will find deep removable EVA contoured sports insoles that really cushion your feet, and a breathable sports mesh lining (100% recycled polyester) that helps move air through the shoe and keeps your feet cool. Wide woven laces (100% recycled polyester) with metal tips sit flat across the facing. A discreet WVS emboss is pressed into the tongue.

Above it, the shoe you already know. Our signature Italian bio-based vegan leather (62–66% plant-origin materials) in the matt finish we've moved to across all our white sneakers — a more luxe look than a high shine, and it wears in rather than out.

The stitching is where the making shows, and none of it has changed. The sidewall stitch running visibly right round the join, the seams through the upper, the topline turned and stitched flat so nothing rubs. Ten years of small adjustments and nothing left on it that doesn't earn its place.

Wear them with straight-leg denim and a plain tee, with an unstructured jacket over a knit, with wide chinos turned once at the hem. Cream linen trousers and a white shirt through the summer, a crew neck and a long coat when it turns. They'll go under tailoring on a Friday and to the shops on a Sunday. A totally classic white sneaker, and the pair you'll reach for without thinking.