Alexander Smith sneakers: how they are made and how to choose them
An Alexander Smith sneaker is a low-soled leather shoe, made in a men's version and a women's one. The upper alternates smooth leather, suede and technical fabrics, often within the same model; the rubber sole stays light even when the profile rises. Three different constructions sit side by side on this page: the laced fastening, the slip-on you step into, and the unlined shoe, which is softer from the very first wear.
The models differ by structure rather than by season. Flat-soled sneakers keep the foot close to the ground and work with turned-up trousers or a chino. Those with a platform, which can be visible on the outside or hidden inside the shoe, lift the figure without the step of a heel: it is the construction that sits best under a midi skirt or a straight-leg jean. Slip-on versions remove the fastening altogether and are the practical choice for anyone who changes shoes more than once a day.
Suede, called camoscio in Italian, should be brushed dry after wearing and never allowed to get wet: it is the material that asks for most attention, and also the one that ages best when it is looked after. Light smooth leather cleans with a damp cloth and feeds on a neutral cream, while metallic inserts should only be wiped with a dry cloth, because greasy products dull them. Woven leather, where it appears, must be brushed along the weave and never across it, or the strips lift.
On fit, remember that laced models can be adjusted and slip-ons cannot: a high instep is more comfortable in the former, and anyone between two sizes does well to try the half size up in the latter. To compare these sneakers with the rest of the sports range, see the men's sneakers and the women's sneakers in the catalogue.
