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Home › Footwear › Sneakers
GREATS’ ROYALE SNEAKER REVIEW | STILL WORTH IT, POST-ACQUISITION?
Dave Paek
Updated Mar 8, 2024
This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may
earn a small commission from.
One of the sneaker models that Greats was founded on (and known for) is the
world famous Royale. This is a classic, minimalist leather sneaker that’s
distinguished by boasting a slightly more old-school 80s style, further elevated
by using a full-grain leather uppers and a made-in-Europe label.
In comparison, a similar shoe from Koio would cost about $100 more, not to
mention the outrageously overpriced Common Projects. Since they were acquired by
Steve Madden in 2019, the outsole was replaced� with their own in-house, 100%
natural rubber, and some of the manufacturing was moved to Portugal.
So is it still worth it? The Royale remains one of the best budget minimalist
leather sneakers, with many of the hallmarks of sneakers that cost $100 more.
Decide for yourself in our in-depth review below, that includes several
alternatives to help you make up your mind.
My own pair are the “Navy” colorway with a year of wear.
Table of Contents
Toggle
* Greats Royale Pros and Cons
* Greats Sneakers, The Brand�
* Greats Royale First Impressions
* Greats Royale Leather Quality
* Greats Royale Sole�
* Are Greats Royale Sneakers Comfortable?
* Greats Royale Sizing and Fit
* Greats Royale Price and Value�
* Greats Royale Alternatives
* Are Greats Royale Sneakers Worth It?�
GREATS ROYALE PROS AND CONS
Got somewhere to be? Here are the pros and cons of this iconic, Brooklyn-born
leather sneaker.
PROS
* Full-grain leather upper�
* Leather lined for comfort�
* Pleasantly thick with soft leather insoles
* Good overall construction
* 12+ available colorways
* Under $200
Under $200!
Greats - The Royale 2.0
With thick, full grain leather and retro style in spades, this meaty,
European-made shoe is one of the best value leather sneakers.
Check Best Price
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
CONS
* Chunkier, less minimalist look than most competitors
* Thick lining makes sizing tricky
* No wide width options
The best known white (“Blanco”) version of the Royale.
GREATS SNEAKERS, THE BRAND�
* Founded in 2014
* Early Direct to Consumer sneaker brand
* Made in Italy
* Design combines minimalist European style and American, 1980s streetwear
Greats’ history only goes back less than ten years. The brand was founded in
Brooklyn by Ryan Babenzien and John Buschemi in 2014. They focused on creating a
brand inspired by their love of sneakers, but also wanted to disrupt the market
by creating one of the first Direct to Consumer (DTC) shoes made using high
quality materials, such as Margom outsoles, and producing them in Italy with
Italian leather. Their inventory features leather low-top and high-top sneakers,
loafers, apparel, and accessories for both men and women.� �
In 2019 they were acquired by Steve Madden, a brand that shares a similar origin
history to Greats. But when you’re a brand that buys other brands, you have
priorities. Steve Madden is now a publicly traded corporation whose primary goal
is increasing its share value through brand acquisitions and vertically
integrating its portfolio for efficiency and cost-cutting.
Today, Greats still offers some Italian-made shoes that are clearly branded as
such, but the provenance of the flagship Royale is hidden. We had to ask them
ourselves: they said it’s now made in Italy and Portugal. So, no one can promise
you that your Royale will be made in a particular country; you have to wait and
see what’s printed on the lining.
But my own are indeed made in Italy.
GREATS ROYALE FIRST IMPRESSIONS
* Slightly chunkier and more retro than minimalist sneakers
Greats’ Royale is an attractive minimalist sneaker. In the vast sea of
“minimalist sneakers” with only slight variations between them, there are three
elements you should note:
1. It’s a little more voluminous than the really low profile sneakers,
2. There are some ventilation holes on the toe, and
3. There are three panels of leather on the sides, creating two seams to break
up the look.
It’s not as clean and simple as Common Projects or Thursday Boots Premier Low
Top, but it has its own unique aesthetic characteristics. On my Navy Royale, you
immediately notice the crisp and supple, deep blue, full-grain leather upper
with a few clean stitching details on the sides of the shoe reminiscent of 80s
sneakers. There are three rows of small vent holes on the top of the toe box.
The overall aesthetic isn’t too far off of a classic pair of Air Jordan One low
tops, but it’s all one color and it’s slightly sleeker looking. That said, they
are slightly chunkier looking than your average minimalist sneakers, a look
that’s enhanced by the relatively tall outsole.�
Note the subtle ventilation holes.
GREATS ROYALE LEATHER QUALITY
* Full grain, vegetable tanned leather
* Sourced from Italy or Portugal
The upper leather feels very good to the touch: it feels supple and the creases
in the few years that I’ve owned have aged beautifully without any loose grain
or anything out of character.
The website says the upper leather is sourced from “top rated tanneries”, but
they don’t specify where. When we reached out to them to confirm, we were told
that,
> The leather Royales are manufactured in both Italy and Portugal and we use
> full grain vegetable-tanned leather from multiple tanneries near the factories
> in both cases. These are wholesalers who have long associations with the
> factories.
It’s very surprising to hear that they’re made from� vegetable tanned� leather.
Almost all leather on Earth is chrome tanned, a cheaper process that produces
softer leather for footwear that’s easier to dye and easier to break in.
Vegetable tanned leather is hardier and stiffer, and is well known for making
boots that are hard to break in. It’s considerably more expensive than chrome
tanned leather but it has a lot of cachet for traditionalists who like more old
fashioned materials: chrome tanning was invented in the 19th century, vegetable
tanning thousands of years prior.
Since Greats doesn’t advertise that they’re made of veg-tan leather on their
site, and given that it’s so much more expensive and less comfortable (until
it’s broken in), we’re… not inclined to believe this is accurate. These sneakers
didn’t need breaking in, plus they come in an array of colors that you wouldn’t
be able to make with vegetable tanned leather, like bright pink.�
Oh yes, I’ve worn these a lot.
GREATS ROYALE SOLE�
* 100% natural rubber, no synthetic components
The site describes the outsole as a “custom outsole with Greats tread pattern,
made with natural rubber.”
The sole choice is controversial. High end sneakers like Common Projects and
Koio tend to use Margom, which offers a good balance of durability, firmness,
and shock absorption.
When they were founded, Greats did use a Margom outsole, but post-acquisition
they switched to an in-house sole, made of 100% natural rubber, that’s stitched
to the upper leather in a traditional minimalist sneaker construction.� �
Anytime a brand deviates away from this gold standard, it is obvious that the
only reason was the cost, but the outsole durability and quality aren’t bad at
all. I’ve done a lot of walking on various surfaces and it’s barely worn at all.
Thus far, its herringbone tread pattern and its “natural rubber” outsole has not
been an issue for me. Just note that this sole is a little chunkier/taller than
most minimalist sneakers.�
ARE GREATS ROYALE SNEAKERS COMFORTABLE?
* Leather lining is comfy, with the expected flipside of low breathability
* Good shock absorption
The lining of the shoe is fully leather lined. Though the site says “breathable
soft leather”, they felt kind of stuffy and I wouldn’t recommend going sockless
in them. To be clear, this is normal with leather lined shoes: comfier on the
feet, less breathable because there are more layers of leather between you and
your environment.�
In fact, the overall leather lining is thicker than most minimalist sneakers on
the market — not because it has more leather, because it feels like there’s
added padding or cushioning material inside the lining. This provides additional
cushioning all around the foot.
I wonder if this is the reason for the odd sizing. I ordered both 8.5 (my usual
size) and 8. The 8.5 was slightly too big and the 8 felt too snug. I stuck with
the 8 in hopes that I could stretch out the shoes using bigger shoe trees, and
it helped. Though I sometimes do feel my toes touching the ends.�
Like most minimalist dressy sneakers on the market, these aren’t intended for
long walks or hikes. Its intended purpose is casual wear. These shoes achieve
that mission well.
GREATS ROYALE SIZING AND FIT
* Order true to size
* No wide widths available
I’m normally 8.5 in most sneakers. I got the 8 in Royales, and while they fit
me, it’s a bit snug even with my efforts to stretch out the shoes. Do consider
the thick padding inside the shoe which may contribute to your sizing challenge.
Additionally, there are no wide widths available at this time.�
GREATS ROYALE PRICE AND VALUE�
* $189
The Royales are currently selling for $189 from their site. If the fact that
Greats is owned by a publicly traded company like Steve Madden turns you off,
then I’d suggest spending your hard earned money on a brand that is privately
owned and focuses more on material quality and transparency such as Koio, or
even a value-oriented brand such as Thursday Boots.�
The price unfortunately remains relatively high for what is now a fairly average
build quality shoes, especially when you compare them to the alternatives in the
next section.
Under $200!
Greats - The Royale 2.0
With thick, full grain leather and retro style in spades, this meaty,
European-made shoe is one of the best value leather sneakers.
Check Best Price
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
The industry leading Koio Capri is $236 with the code STRIDEWISE20.�
GREATS ROYALE ALTERNATIVES
While the Greats Royales are minimalist “premium” leather sneakers for less than
$200, you can get the same quality shoes for less from other brands, though each
has their own pros and cons.
* Koio’s Capri sneakers are the best alternative. They’re the closest to the
Greats’ old build: they’re handmade in Italy with Margom outsoles and
full-grain Italian leather. They are pricier at $295, but you simply won’t
find better value if you’re after an Italian made shoe with Margom outsole,
plus Koio has admirable sustainability commitments that include only sourcing
from Leather Working Group rated tanneries.
Great Deals
Koio Capri Leather Sneakers
This sneaker from Koio is hands down one of the most comfortable sneakers out of
the box! Completely made in Italy, and they're on sale for a the moment!
Get the Discount Read Our Review
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.
* Adidas Stan Smith sneakers, conversely, is a good bet if material quality
doesn’t matter for you. They’re chunkier than the other alternatives here so
that may be the draw for you. The leather version is a little pricier than
Thursday’s, but the vegan one is just $100. They’re made in China or India.
* Thursday Boots’ Premier minimalist sneakers (above) are built with very
similar materials: in-house rubber outsole with full-grain leather upper,
made in Portugal, and they’re only $129. They’re honestly the best value
alternative to Greats.�
* Beckett Simonon’s Reid sneaker is another great option that offers a good
value with similar high-quality materials for just $169 (or about $139 with
the discount code STRIDE). They’re made in Colombia, but the major downside
to Beckett Simonon is their lead time. You pre-order and typically wait a few
months for the shoes to arrive.
ARE GREATS ROYALE SNEAKERS WORTH IT?�
If you’re looking for a pair of premium minimalist leather sneakers, I wouldn’t
recommend Greats Royales. They’re overpriced relative to their competitors, and
the puffy lining means they don’t fit all that well for me.
More importantly, there are better options. You can get similar if not better
sneakers from models such as Thursday Boots’ Premier sneakers or Beckett
Simonon’s Reid sneakers for less money.
The main reason I can see preferring Greats over these other models is the
aesthetic. There’s a broad spectrum of sleek to chunky, or from minimalist to
detail-ridden, and the Royales have a unique balance that’s hard to find. Not
too slim, not too voluminous, and enough detailing to stand out but not too
much. If that’s what you’re after, you could do a lot worse than Greats.�
DAVE PAEK
Dave's gateway drug into the world of heritage menswear and boots was a pair of
Allen Edmonds Park Avenues. Since then, he went down a very deep rabbit hole and
became obsessed with selvage jeans, boots, and all things full-grain leather.
More articles by Dave Paek
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