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Simple and sleek, everyone needs a good pair of white sneakers (or tennis shoes, trainers – whatever you want to call them!) The right pair will dress down a polished look or elevate a casual look, achieving the perfect balance of chic style and comfort. After my last pair of Cole Haan travel sneakers bit the dust (I wore them to death across France, Thailand, and Spain), I felt it was time for a truly elevated pair – and the M Gemi Palestra Minimo sneakers fit the bill to a T.
But if I was going to invest in designer sneakers, I wanted to make sure I could wear them for more than dusty travel days – they’d need to do double duty for more stylish moments too. And as someone who doesn’t usually feel comfortable in distressed denim, athletic wear, or sweatshirts, I had to ask myself – how can I style these beauties and still look polished?
Read on for my review of the M Gemi Palestra Minimo sneakers and three ways to style them.
About M Gemi
For a few years (before I discovered Inez heels), M Gemi was my go-to site for shoes. I’ve always been willing to spend more for beautiful craftsmanship, and M. Gemi hits a sweet spot of not being outrageously expensive while delivering on beautiful shoes that will last. I ended up gravitating away from M. Gemi only because their fit can be hit or miss when it comes to narrow feet.
Case in point: I’m a pretty consistent 6.5 in M Gemi heels, despite my narrow feet measuring a 7.5. While I love M Gemi’s sexy Esatto heel and classy Lustro, I was disappointed by a few other styles that ended up being too wide. So while I do have a few M Gemi favorites (see below), I had stopped keeping up with them for a few years.
That said, I’ve always been drawn to their sleek minimalist sneakers, the Palestra Minimos. I love the design – pure, sans rivets, and elegantly contoured – but was concerned they would run wide as well. I researched other minimalist designer sneaker brands like Koio and Common Projects, but they seemed just on-par with M Gemi in the style and quality department, while being more expensive at around $248 and $425, respectively. Ok, I thought. Time to give the M Gemi Palestra Minimo sneakers a try.
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Use my referral link for $50 off your first M Gemi order, and get your Palestra Minimos for only $148.
The Palestra Minimo Sneakers
The ultimate in high-design, high-craft white sneakers, M Gemi’s Palestra Minimos feature a leather upper and lining that are handmade in Italy, with soles that are hand-sewn onto the upper for the best durability – a step that’s often skipped and replaced with glue by other brands (read: my cheap Cole Haan sneakers).
I was instantly impressed by how the shoes fit, how comfortable they were, and the uber-minimalist design. You can compare these to Koio’s Capri Triple White which look very similar, but cost $50-100 more. And unlike Koio, which has its logo embossed on the heel, or Common Projects, which prints a gold serial number on the side of each shoe, the M Gemi Palestra Minimo sneakers are 100% sleek and logo free. Plus, new customers can always find a $50 off referral link, meaning these sneakers will only cost $148.
Fit-wise, M Gemi recommends going down half a size but I found I didn’t need to. I bought the Palestra Minimo sneakers in a 37.5, which equates to a size 7 wide or 7.5 narrow according to their size chart – and once I tightened the laces, they fit perfectly. If you have narrow or medium-width feet, I think you can definitely take your usual size in the Palestra Minimo sneakers, or size up if your feet are wide.
One caveat to mention – the first few times you wear this shoe, they will SQUEAK. I read this in a few other online reviews, and it seems this boils down to the lack of hole rivets that would usually make the movement of the laces soundless. The cotton laces rub against the fresh leather, making a pretty distinguished squeaky sound that takes about a dozen wears to go away. But according to reviews of other minimalist white sneakers from other brands, this is something you’ll deal with given any shoe without rivets. Pro tip: wear them while walking your dog until they break in to soundless bliss.
And now – my top three ways to style minimalist white sneakers.
Look 1: Add a tailored blazer
Nothing says warm-weather polish more than a crisp white blazer. (This season’s ubiquitous version is double-breasted, with nautical gold buttons). But rather than pairing it with wedge heels or sandals, consider a white sneaker to bring down the formality factor. Balance the look with high-waisted tweed shorts to show off a little leg, even without the heels.
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Look 2: Dress down an LBD
The LBD is classic for a reason – it transcends a variety of situations, from weddings, to brunch, to date night. Choose a figure-skimming version, and style with an au courant nano-bag and your white sneakers to create a look that’s sleek and chic, but dressed-down and appropriate for just about any occasion.
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Look 3: Elevate utilitarian street style
I’ll admit it, I’m a street style novice. It’s just not a genre that feels very “me.” But after a little playing around, I found this belted cargo skirt and asymmetric top combined with the white sneakers gave me a bit of the street style vibe I was looking for – while achieving the polished look that feels like my second skin. I feel like I could wear this to hang out with friends, grab a drink at a brewery, or see a concert, and never look over- or under-dressed.
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Follow me on Instagram @theprimpysheep for more reviews and style inspiration – and if you enjoyed this post, you might also like:
M Gemi Shoe Review: The Esatto, Lustro, and More
