The Classics

Unboxing a new pair of sneakers hits different. That smell, the tissue paper, the weight of them in your hands—you open the box and there they are, perfectly laced, ready to go.

Reebok’s Classic Leather in this new pearlescent finish comes in five colors: black, rose gold, turquoise, white, and champagne. The shimmer is the whole point—it catches the light without being obnoxious about it. The leather’s soft, genuine, and the shoe sits right on your foot in that way that makes you understand why some designs stick around for decades.

Reebok became a legend in the mid-80s when they got into fitness and aerobics and suddenly there was this whole culture around the shoes. They were built for movement but they looked good enough to wear anywhere, which was probably the real revelation. A shoe that didn’t have to apologize for being a workout shoe, that worked just as well on a city street. That’s rare.

I’ve worn a lot of different Reeboks over the years. There’s something about the simplicity of the Classic that keeps it from getting tired. The pearlescent version feels a little fancier than the standard leather, which is funny because all it is is a subtle finish. But that’s enough. That’s everything.