Best Current Dad Shoe From Each Brand

From experience, the best gift you can give the old man on Father’s Day is time. It can be time they can have for themselves, where nobody is bothering them, and they can do whatever they please, the total opposite, where you bombard them with your presence and the presence of their grandchildren, or absolutely nothing, because the third Sunday of June is reserved for other people’s birthdays, and they would rather those things be celebrated.

But also from experience, there are the dads who expect to be catered to on this day. They are the ones who need to know they are appreciated and that the years they spent raising kids was not for nothing. Sometimes the gift can be rounds at the local golf course, a vacation for dad and mom, a family barbecue with everybody in attendance, or it could be the simple gesture of a Dad Shoe that they can wear without fear of becoming a meme on the internet.

Every brand has dad shoes. It’s the unofficial title for sneakers that have an old school look of sneakers from their youth or early adulthood but with the comfort of today’s technology. There’s always the temptation to go to the store and pick the first chunky sneaker on the shelf that’s on sale, but that's what we are trying to avoid here. You want your dad or your father figure or “unc” to look and feel good. And your friends at Sole Retriever are here to give you a heads up on what to look for before you head to their house to catch the final round of the US Open or the biggest matches on the first weekend of the World Cup.

Nike: Nike Zoom Vomero 5

I get it, the Monarchs should be in this spot, but your dad doesn’t need to wear what his dad and his uncles wore when they were mowing the lawn. The Vomero 5 checks all of the boxes of fit, comfort, and plain colorways that a dad who could not care less about sneaker culture is looking for at a reasonable price. Now they can hop in their John Deere with confidence and some extra bounce.

Jordan Brand: Jordan Six Rings

Dads and Uncs who love Michael Jordan love the Jordan Six Rings. It achieves the goal of looking close enough to certain classic Air Jordans without having to deal with sneakerheads and resellers. It doesn’t matter to them that it’s a hybrid Jordan shoe, seeing the Jumpman and the patent leather mudguard is justification enough.

New Balance: New Balance 530

The brand that practically invented the dad shoe has a near limitless catalog to choose from, which can get confusing at times. Instead of sorting through the dozens of 990s available that are often priced at levels that would give any dad an aneurysm because they remember buying 574s at a BOGO sale, the 530 is a compromise anybody can support. Dads might be confused upon seeing these 530s because they remember the original design from 1992, but you just have to explain to them that these are the 530s of today. That last thing you want to do is get into a discussion of New Balance’s naming conventions.

adidas: adidas Adistar XLG 2.0

If your dad grew up in the 70s and 80s, their nostalgia for adidas might be affiliated with icons like Run DMC or Patrick Ewing and sneakers like the Superstar and Ewing 33 Hi (now known as the Rivalry Hi). Those shoes do have retros today, but they probably aren’t the easiest things for the old man to wear. The time might be right for a dad shoe like the Adistar XLG 2.0, which is affectionately known as the GR version of Pharrell Williams’ Jellyfish sneaker. If dad knows who Pharrell is, let them know that these are kind of inspired by the more expensive collabs. He’ll feel cool, plus love that you saved a few thousand bucks.

Saucony: Saucony ProGrid Omni 9

When Saucony gets coverage on the blogs, it’s been through their collaborations with creatives like Jae Tips and artists like Westside Gunn. However, chances are dad is not going to be interested in multicolor sneakers, so the wisest move would be to stick with the Omni 9, but in more conservative colorways. They still have to wear these in front of their non-sneakerhead normie heads and it seems highly unlikely these sneakers will spark a conversation about things like Jae Tips move from Saucony to Nike.

Puma: Puma Fade Nitro

We can substitute this sneaker out for a Puma Clyde if they happen to be a New York Knicks fan, but the Puma Fade Nitro is a great dad shoe at a reasonable price. Equipped with all of the dad shoe hallmarks in terms of design and feel, the key is the inclusion of the brand’s popular Nitro foam. A comfortable ride is very important to the dads out there and the Fade Nitro gets the job done.

Hoka: Hoka Bondi 9

It’s possible that when you see your dad on Father’s Day, they are already wearing the Bondi 9. As a matter of fact, it’s possible it’s not just your dad, but your mom, uncles, aunties, and everybody else wearing the Bondi 9 or Clifton 10, too. This might be the rare scenario where you are the one asking dad about runners and not the other way around.

Reebok: Reebok Premier Road Ultra

Reebok’s Premier series has quietly been putting out amazing products for the past few years in colorways that deserve more mention. As a fan of the brand’s Vector logo, there might not be a better implementation since the days of Allen Iverson’s early Answer signature shoes. However, Reebok always feels like a brand that is one step closer to the big comeback that everybody is hoping for, so it might be up to the sneakerhead community to show that support by gifting dads all around the country new colorways.

Vans: Vans Classic Slip-On

If your dad has somehow made it to their late 40s to early 60s while still rocking Vans Slip-Ons, you might want to ask them what their secret is and let us in on it as well. If they survived those iconic Warped Tours from the 90s and can still handle walking in Slip-Ons, maybe it’s time to hook them up with a new checkerboard pair and a classic vinyl of Reel Big Fish or Less Than Jake.

Salomon: Salomon ACS Pro

Because the Salomon XT series might be too tech-focused for pops, the Salomon ACS Pro has a more classic dad trainer look. The ACS Pro is also a great opportunity to teach dads about the brand’s Quicklace system, which means the days of having to tie laces the old way may be over.

Crocs: Crocs Echo Clog

Crocs is an interesting proposition for dads everywhere. On the one hand, they are perfect for wearing around the house and are extremely comfortable for short walks around the neighborhood. However, there are concerns about the lack of heel support and the possibility of falling that might cause. If your dad does not have balance issues and is interested in Crocs but doesn’t understand the deal with Jibittz, the Echo Clogs are a great solution.

Timberland: Timberland Premium 6-Inch Boot

If your dad is still working that blue-collar job because they refuse to step into their golden years, it’s time to update the dirty and dingy Timbs they’ve been wearing for years. It’s either that or dad lives in an East Coast city and needs something to survive those freezing cold winter months.

Under Armour: All of the Leftover Curry Sneakers

Now that Steph Curry has officially signed to Li-Ning, the time is now for Under Armour to clear their Curry Brand inventory. It’s a shame that a partnership that began with great hope and promise did not end up being sustainable, but with everything going on sale, this is a great chance to pick up a sneaker for the dad who is aware of Steph Curry but could not care less about the sneaker business drama. Once they see the Curry name and logo on the sneaker, it’s a similar situation to the Jordan Six Rings and they will be happy with the gift.

Happy Father's Day

Juan Martinez

From video game journalism to veteran of the sneaker blog era to podcasting about well, everything, Juan is smiling through it all and can't believe this is his life. After recently getting into Formula 1, he now has hot takes about who the greatest driver of all time is. Email: juan@soleretriever.com