Common Projects vs Koio vs Oliver Cabell: Who Makes the Best Italian Leather Sneaker?
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 4 ก.ค. 2024
- * Here's Common Projects, they seem cheapest at Mr Porter: stridewise.com/common-project...
* Here's Koio's Capri, try KOIOSTRIDEWISE10 for a discount: stridewise.com/koio-capri-sne...
* Here's Oliver Cabell: stridewise.com/oliver-cabell-...
* My 10 Favorite Leather Sneakers: stridewise.com/best-leather-s...
* See also: 12 Common Projects Alternatives stridewise.com/common-project...
Common Projects, due in no small part to its outrageous pricetag, caused a storm of imitators to flood the sneaker scene in the 2010s. Now, it's become awfully hard for Common Projects to maintain their allure: there are countless Italian-made, low profile, minimalist, white, nappa leather sneakers to earn your dollar. And two have risen to the top of the pile: Koio and Oliver Cabell. Here I break down everything you need to know in absurd detail so you can make your choice!
00:00 Intro
00:56 Why buy Italian leather sneakers?
01:45 The Price
03:20 The Similarities
04:04 The Aesthetic
04:35 The Fit
06:20 The Sizing
07:15 The Comfort
10:02 The Soles (The Margom Question)
11:15 The Sustainability
12:06 The Leather
13:37 Koio or Common Projects? - แนวปฏิบัติและการใช้ชีวิต
I had a terrible experience with Oliver Cabell, to the point that I started to think the company was almost a scam. They basically never accept returns, despite advertising that they do. I wanted to return a pair, which I wore for 1 minute on carpet, and they said it was too worn, pointing to some smudges on the sole. Luckily i had an unboxing pic showing that those smudges were already there, but the costumer service team still wouldnt accept the return. They offered store credit, but wouldnt let me use it with any sales, and the whole business model of OC is that there are always sales, which makes the full price of the shoe kind of BS. If you have any doubt about your size or the shoes, I wouldnt order from Oliver Cabell.
I’ve heard stories like this and considered mentioning it but decided to focus on the products, but I do mention the customer service reputation in the upcoming “best leather sneakers” roundup. Thanks for confirming that I should leave that criticism in!
@@Stridewise Absolutely! For me it was a major negative, despite the shoes being nice enough. And no reason a supposedly transparent company should be so un-transparent in their customer service policies.
Similar happened to me. I returned a pair due to fit. And they never actually credited my card. Luckily my wife noticed and and after a few calls and them blaming me. I managed to get a refund. It’s like they’re trying to scam you in hopes you don’t notice. At the end of the day I ended up with suitsupply. For me better fit than OC or koio. Very comfortable too. Had them 2 years and look like new.
@@tonytropea7540how do the suitsupplies fit? Are they true to size? And is the insole padded (confortable)?
@@T3720 the fit is good , no heel slippage , good toe room overall they are very comfortable, good insole padding, calf leather lining. For me they are true to size, note that there will be a break- in period. Suitsupply ships fast , super easy returns too.
Great rollup. I spent a LONG time a few years back making this decision, pulling from videos by you, The Kavalier (we miss you, John!), and Weston at Rose Anvil. Ultimately I went with Beckett Siminon, and for what they were, they held up fantastically as my entry white minimalist sneaker. Since then I have gotten Ace Marks, (the fiber board midsole failed spectacularly and the color finishes are inconsistent and don't hold up to basic conditioning without discoloring the sole,) Grant Stone (I highly recommend, but there is no triple white offering yet,) and Thursday. The Thursday Premiere was great, and they offer wide sizes, but they were a bit tall and the exposed eyelets had me passing them over when I wore "dressy" chinos and a blazer. They fixed it with the Encores. hidden eyelets, less seams, and a more streamlined last shape. No wide sizes yet, but I went up a half size (Oh yeah. Thursday also does half sizes.) and they fit great. All for $130!
Great video, Nick. I went with Koio’s gen 1 when they still had the Margom outsole. Then scored a crazy deal to get the Perla colorway in them for under $100 when they were heavily discounted from Koio.
I have 5 CP’s and 5 Koio’s,I like the CP’s more for the silhouette and leather softness,the CP’s just feels premium,the reason why I bought koio’s is to have the Cp look when I’m doing errands.
Hey, thank you so much for the detailed review! Do you know if Thursday sneakers hold up just as well as the ones in this video? I just found a brand new pair of Thursday's for sale for 70€ and I'm thinking if I should get them or not. Thanks in advance!
I have a bigger roundup coming up but while I haven't worn their white ones that much, the brown ones I've had for a few years i'd say have a tougher sole, it's worn down less than CP/Koio with about the same amount of wear
After 6 years of running my Greats Royal into the ground I picked up CP's a few weeks back cus Greats changed their styling which I was super bummed about cus they fit like a glove from Day 1...and doing returns for Koio/Oliver Cabell from Canada would be a pain if they didn't fit. They're definitely more narrow and uncomfortable out of the box and the leather squeaks like I'm in wellys. For ref. I'm a brannock 11.5E and picked up 46 in CPs (had 13 in Greats).
I've had a lovely pair of minimalist, white leather sneakers from R.M. Williams for a couple of years now and they are still going strong, with little sign of wear.
They differ slightly (not hugely) from the ones currently available on their website, which are just over €200.
My nike shoes is 11.5 but oliver cabell sizing chart says 8 for my 27.5cm foot which is a big difference. What size should I get?
Great as ever Nick. Have you thought about a video on VEJA? They're doing some great white minimalist versions and are very interesting re sustainability. Keep up the great content! ☺
Hey @stridewise.
I was really thinking about buying a pair from oliver cabell. Could you please tell me how long did it take them to ship your shoes?
I’ve seen people say the customer support is horrible and it takes long time to ship.
Hope you respond, thanks!
Good video btw
Hi Nick,
I'm a long-time fan, and I need your advice. I'm 54 years old and I've developed arthritis in my foot, making it hard to wear a lot of my boots. It's sad, but I am considering selling some. Many pairs I've hardly ever worn. And I have some high-end stuff like Trumans that I know people would want.
I've never used sites like ebay before. It seems like a hassle to have to deal with shipping and possible complaints. Any tips on sites to use or general thoughts?
Great review!
thanks man!
Is the Thursday Premiere Low top in Natural Cromexel a Mexican Minimalist Sneaker? or an American Minimalist Sneaker? Same question for my waxed flesh high tops. But If I need a pair of Italian sneakers, I'm going with Koio. That seem in the oliver cabels put me off.
Love my white Thursday sneakers for a casual jeans look. It’s already so hot in Austin though, what can be worn with shorts and not leave you looking shabby?
LOAFERS. i love them so. i don't care how controversial they are!
also I just got red wing's "moc oxfords" that are pretty cool with shorts
Great video, very interesting comparison! I went to both Koio and OC stores in Manhattan a month ago to try them both. For some reason, the Koio sizing didn't work for me, it was either too big or too small. OC's fit was perfect for me. In terms of quality, they look pretty similar to the non-qualified eye. I like OC design better, not a fan of Koio's double leather thing by the heel, feel it takes some of the minimalist design away. I would say with these three you should choose based on fit - quality is pretty comparable.
CP are a non-starter for me. Too expensive for a sneaker and I personally think the golden letters are really ugly.
Waiting for the cobbler video
I have the triple white koios for about 4 years now and still going strong :)
We love to hear it!
I have all 3. The CPs are definitely the most versatile and comfortable. Koio’s are slightly less in both and definitely a better value. The Low1s look way boxier in person than the other 2 but the build quality is comparable for way cheaper. I bought the CPs used on grailed, no way they’re worth $450ish.
Man I’m so glad someone is agreeing that OC is less svelte! Yeah koio the best balance (esp value) for sure, though I confess it’s hard to not feel fancy when you flex the CP gold digits
I personally had a horrible experience with OC, but that's with their boots rather than sneakers. It came looking cheaper like the website's product picture in terms of materials used and when I asked customer support, they told me it was simply an issue of the website's image being out of date.
I found that so scummy that I refuse to even interact with that company any longer.
I only have experience with Cabell (and then only their GATs). I bought them because I liked the price transparency. They are comfortable for me. I don’t have any others, so I can’t compare them. Thanks for doing that!!! 👊👊
They’re a solid buy! Nothing at all wrong with preferring the cheaper ones. One day I’ll do a deep dive into GATs it’s funny how they have their own little subculture
@@Stridewise Please definitely do that. I love my GATs. My personal faves are Reproduction of Found, but a lot of companies make interesting versions.
I personally having owned both the Oliver Cabell low 1s and CPs, would pick CPs every time simply cuz they look much better to me
Perfectly valid reason, CP is just the right amount of low slung
Always go for Koio bcoz of the width option which is wide feet friendly for me
Iv bought and tried all three and my daily drivers are a swap between black and white Common Projects. Oliver Cabells were too low profile and hurt the top of my toes, Koi were nice but felt stiff and narrow toed and Common Projects have been great to break in and I've grown to really like. Outside of that my Crown North Hamptons are GOAT!!
Can you review Magnanni Men's Leve Soft Leather Low-Top Sneakers?
love this review Nick-actually very timely for me! and (on a separate note) i love it when you add a note regarding citizenship after saying “us Americans” haha. I just admire your sensitivity.
Haha I just know my accent can be confusing for a New York channel all about American menswear! Glad you liked the video man I worked hard on this one
After seeing the video from Rose Anvil I probably wouldn't pick the CP for that fact alone, if they are on sale by quite a bit then of course otherwise it's a hard no.
I've owned both Koio and OC and with OC my issue was I couldn't trust their website, I ordered a pair of shoes and looked at the description and when the shoes arrived it was quite different from their own photos for that model (like the material was not even what was listed) and it felt like all they did was just copy/paste the same writing for all the shoes. I tried to reach out and got radio silence. Makes me seriously doubt that the shoes are even made in Italy and most likely made cheaply in China somewhere. I ended up buying from a local store a very cheap pair of the low 1 model from OC afterwards and while that one had better quality I ultimately found them very uncomfortable and just gave them away.
Koio to me (I had a nubuck leather pair of lows) looked way too bulky and clunky, they also weren't too comfortable and ultimately I gave those away as well.
I guess to sum up, I just don't trust these companies, they might be "assembled" in Italy but it's so hard to tell if the leather is actually what they say it is and even with another pair of high top OC I had I noticed the sole didn't even have the margom logo on it even though the website listing said it was...so I moved on from all of these.
Whatever you decide stay away from Thursday boot. I owned two pairs both pair inner heel collapsed.
for anyone needing help on sizing, i wear 9.5 in nike/nb and got 8 in koio
Unfortunately it’s not that easy :/ I am 9.5 and sometimes 10 in Nike and i ordered once 9 in koio (not capri though) and ended with too small sneakers…
@@MrApomentis yeah u must like tight sneakers
我很喜歡 但想在香港找到門市可以給我全部試穿一下😂但找不到😱
Why does Oliver Cabell say they don't sell 1/2 sizes when they sell UK sizes that are equivalents of 1/2 sizes in The United States?. A UK 8.5 Men's is a US 9.5 Mens.
What about white boots?
th-cam.com/video/QLynMB7QQWg/w-d-xo.html (though half of these aren't sold anymore)
I love the idea of white sneakers, they really do look great. Very versatile sneakers.
But I just can’t make myself buy a pair because they look so tatty and worn out in only a few months. I think I might baby them too much, and turn into that person who is forever wiping his sneakers with a paper towel when out and about. Also, there’s just too many great long lasting boots I could buy for that money.
Yeah I know a lot of dudes who spray them down with a leather protector that keeps them pretty white and easy to clean. I think it's technically not great for the leather's breathability or whatever but for casual white sneakers it's not a bad idea.
This was great. I'll stick with Thursday Boots shoes
They JUST came out with one JUST like these
@@Stridewise Can't wait for your review
I have more than one pair of CPs and Koios. I like them both, but the CPs have some slightly better styles and quality. Probably not worth the difference in price. They are both great shoes.
Yeah if they were the same price… actually no I’d still do koio because the toe’s a little wider but I wear my CPs a lot anyway
Not me with my Target knockoffs 😂
I prefer Koio
Congrats on being an American!!
Damn no crown Northampton?
This is just on Italian sneakers!
@@Stridewise ohhhhh my bad haha
👍
I have only had the Oliver Cabell White Low1 ...I don't like them,...I never wear them after a few tries. They have been sitting in my house for over a year I have a pair almost brand new in size 9 you can have them for $90 bucks less than 1/2 maybe you will like them if you can get them to break-in lmk. I can not figure out whyyyy are these sneakers so popular among TH-cam influencers !?!? ... its not the cost that is the factor forming my opinion, I am fine with paying a premium price for a shoe that I actually enjoy and wear. These just never felt right on me...maybe too fancy idk
hahaha well I think I made it clear that they're my least favorite of the three, I talk about them more in a roundup coming out this week too. What didn't feel right about them though? If they're too fancy then you wouldn't like the other ones on this list either.
Well lol... a few things I think the leather is too thick and the sole is very flat and stiff not the flexibility I would like, of course I don't expect them to be like an athletic sneaker but they just feel so hard to break in ...more like a dress shoe than something I would want to wear semi casual in jeans let alone shorts makes me feel like I'm walking in big white boats lol bowling shoes..I know just my opinion, obviously a lot of people like them but they're not for me. Great videos btw, especially liked the one on loafers!
Nice pistol squat! Those arent easy
Yeah I got good at them when I was too broke for a gym membership haha
Has anyone met Mr Oliver Cabell in person? I wonder who he is in reality
Half the time these names are made up. There’s no Teddy Stratford!
I wouldn’t bother with any of them and opt for Goral! Way better quality and cheaper!
I have their boots but haven't tried the sneakers yet, it's a cool company
@@Stridewise I have three pairs of whiteish low tops and none of them have torn my feet apart and all are comfortable.
I’m a little surprised you did this video given that Rose Anvil did a whole series on white sneakers. He concluded that Crown Northampton and Goral provided better value than the sneakers you feature.
This isn’t a best leather sneakers video it’s just a comparison of the Italian ones! Crown is in the “best” video soon
CP only.
it's nice to see a traditionalist
It's less the rolex of white sneakers and more the apple. Overpriced not the best made trading on name.
yeah except that apple isn't rarely purchased bc of the price and doesn't have 50 near identical alternatives
Oliver Cabell took a dive with quality or materials and build which is not represented on their site, still showing the old and better versions
what's changed?
@@Stridewise there’s a post on r/sneakers that details what changed with their GATs
@@DancingSpacePotato it’s funny how the GAT has its own following
Can confirm this. I bought a pair about three years ago that was wonderful, and when the time came last fall I replaced it with another. Wow, what a different experience. Horribly uncomfortable break-in period (my feet bled both at the heel and just above my big toe) and so stiff at first that I could barely get them on, plus after about a month of wear the leather around the collar tore. Despite having a 60 day warranty (which I was well within), OC customer service gave me absolute hell about replacing them, finally doing it only when I disputed the charge on my credit card. Having now worn them since September 2023, or about 9 months, they have worn significantly worse than my original pair and look older despite less than half the wear time. Weird creasing, too. Huge bummer.
Rose anvil confirmed everything we suspected about common projects. After his video dissection, I haven’t seen anyone wear them. And I work at the airport. I see shoes alllllll day.
I wouldn't wear mine to the airport. I wear cheap chuck 70s normally when I'm travelling. Cp"s are overpriced for sure but I bought them because I like them
You seem to pronate on your right side
I guess I do hey! I'm telling myself my new Pilates habit will fix every imbalance in my body
@@Stridewise Please let us know the best boots to do Pilates in
So you are seriously promoting koio shoes , in fact you are telling others to buy koio and the pictures you have used the whole time are common projects 😂. How funny the world is these days.
what pictures? i think the thumbnail might have the wrong one but otherwise I tried...
Just got my Oliver cabell low 1s and they forgot to include the dust bag for the shoes. Customer service is almost non existent since they haven’t replied to any of my emails. Heed my advice, don’t buy from this oliver cabell.
want some of my dust bags? i have a billion lying around my apartment
@@Stridewise I’m just disappointed that they didn’t include it with my purchase, it’s nice to have but not really useful. By the way customer rep replied and said they don’t include the dust bags anymore to reduce costs since moving to italy.
Buttero
I an expert on Great sneakers for men. The Common Projects being sold today are not as premium as they once were five years ago. I’ll give you an example: I recently (in the past 30 days and returned them)a brand new pair of the Common Projects Retro lows. This is not the great sneaker it once was.
No longer fully leather lined.
No longer great padding in the tongue.
No longer the premium butter soft calf skin on the outside and inside.
Common Projects sold out its customers. There prices have risen, but quality is no longer existent .
i'll go to @CrownNorthampton every time
Hope you saw my tour of their factory !