The complete guide to Common Projects sneakers

A newcomer to the lifestyle footwear scene, Common Projects has an uncommon goal that made it one of the successful luxury footwear brands that boast the mastery of Italian craftsmanship despite being located in the United States.

With less than two decades in the industry, founders Prathan Poopat and Flavio Girolami projected trust and confidence in their products - sporting handcrafted pairs all made in Italy, and using premium Italian Nappa leather on most of their shoes.

See how Common Projects rose to become one of the unique American luxury footwear companies in this complete guide to Common Projects’ sneakers.

Not so common creativity

With Poopat’s experience as an American art director and Girolami’s career as a creative consultant, the founding of Common Projects in 2004 led to a fruitful brainstorming despite living in different countries. Their ideas braved the founders’ physical absence and didn’t hinder their creative plans for the brand.

Their sneakers may appear to be the most basic lifestyle shoes, but that’s what made Common Projects different, they have mastered the minimalist design approach on just about every sneaker model they have in the catalog.

The most famous model, or perhaps the only model they needed to be one of the most famous luxury sneaker brands, is the Common Projects Achilles lifestyle shoe.

Making a name for its own, the Achilles is the brand’s most iconic model, the only model they needed to achieve minimalist styles and continue to pursue perfection while trusting their manufacturers in Italy that never created a sneaker prior to the Achilles.

Common Projects Achilles Leather Sneaker

The Common Projects Achilles is different though. Most iconic and timeless sneakers made a lot of impact with their notable features and signature label markings all over the shoe - like adidas Stan Smith’s branding on the tongue, Converse Chuck Taylor All Star’s medial logo, and the Nike Air Force One’s Air label on the midsole, Common Projects was just truly different. Common Projects launched their luxurious Achilles model with no branding whatsoever nor any symbol to identify the shoe - except for the gold-foiled numbers on the side of the shoe that represents the article number, shoe size, and color. It was the brand’s signature style for a lowkey yet fancy look.

Unlike the brand’s fellow fashion newcomer, Golden Goose, that also hailed from Italy, Common Projects is quite the opposite with their shoes. Golden Goose was known for its distressed and aged sneakers, which exudes the brand’s persona and signature look most of the time. But Common Projects literally has no bran - the founders even got its name because they simply work on “common projects” together. Both luxury Italian brands have their own distinguishing styles, which made them catch international attention. As for Common Projects, their majestic “blending in with the crowd” got them famous in the fashion industry either way.

They didn’t need too much introduction nor any glaring description to get them where they are now. The golden-foiled numbers on the sides are enough clue to identify the brand.

The Achilles Series arrived in Low, Mid, and High-cut constructions - making them a versatile and comfortable lifestyle shoe that also offers long-lasting durability due to the Italian-handcrafted leather upper.

Poopat and Girolami saw that the Achilles Low was the next big thing, and was bringing successful sales to the brand. So they crafted even more models that feature no branding at all aside from the “golden numbers”. Since the Achilles was considered to be a trainer, Common Projects launched more sports-inspired sneakers that go well with just about any outfit available in the wardrobe.

One of the more renowned silhouettes is the Chelsea boots, but the brand has continued to release more sportswear-inspired sneakers for that lowkey lavish fashion that not everyone would notice unless they know Common Projects. The Chelsea boots are often sold in two variations: leather and premium suede. Just in case anybody forgets, they also have that signature golden code numbers on the side for a premium touch. Six years since the company’s founding, Common Projects has finally created a ladies-specific women’s sneaker line after it caught the attention of the fashionistas. 2010 introduced even more sneaker models from the minimalist brand.

Ladies’ models vary from the usual Chelsea boots, Achilles, the Tournament, and a leather slip-on for easy strolling days. One variation of the women’s Common Projects Achilles sneaker arrives with three Velcro fastening straps, replacing the usual lacing system seen on the original Achilles. And of course, the lowkey gold-numbered branding is placed on the rear.

Pictured above is a clean white pair crafted with leather and accompanied by a brown leather lining. The gilded lettering remains on the side atop a Sail midsole. The brand’s potential in the industry by only selling classic-looking sneakers is unmatched.

Common Projects Sneaker Catalog 2021

Since the brand doesn’t have a really long history and is considered to be a newcomer in the fashion industry (2004), let’s take a look at the brand’s various sneaker silhouettes that are bestowed with the golden numbers.

Original Achilles Leather Sneakers - Arriving in simple yet appealing colorways of Tan, Grey, and Off-white, The sleek leather upper fabrics are easily classified as premium at a single glance. The all-monochromatic sneakers sit atop a white rubber midsole that is hand-stitched to ensure long-lasting durability that anyone could expect from a handcrafted Italian shoe. The padded tongue provides insane ankle comfort and decent support.

The premium sneakers are and will always be made in Italy. The company’s business ventures and headquarters are located in New York City. It was no struggle for the brand as they were literally formed Common Projects while the two founders were working in different places and away from each other. More Achilles Low colorways will be featured below.

Achilles Leather High-Top Sneakers

Sporting a chukka-like ankle collar for those who are looking for extra ankle support, the High-Top construction of the Common Projects Achilles makes up for a top-notch fashion shoe that gives the silhouette a completely new look. Pictured below is a stealthy blacked-out colorway crafted with hand-stitched Italian leather. The best and most notable feature of an all-black Common Projects sneaker is the gold lettering that has since then become the brand’s main identity as they never keep any label or branding all over the sneaker.

They’re available in All-black, Grey, and Triple White.

Retro Low Leather Sneakers

The Retro footwear series from Common Projects usually sports an All-White leather upper with gold stamped numbers and stitching near the rear. They’re just as plain as the Achilles Lows, but their most notable feature is the contrasting and colored heel tab that looks to pay homage to the similarly-looking adidas Stan Smiths. The Common Projects Retro has an identity of its own though. They’re a nice casual option that can go along well with just about any piece from the wardrobe.

Bball Leather Sneakers

There was one common denominator between Common Projects and their low-cut sneakers - they’re all unbranded, feature the same sole, and use the same high-quality leather. The difference between the Bball model and the Achilles is that the BBall silhouette has more stitches and sport an external overlay right on the midfoot, a homage to heritage basketball sneakers back in the 70s and 80s.

Of course, it won’t be a Common Projects product without its golden numbers on the side.

Common Projects in sneaker reselling

But since they aren’t as hyped as Air Jordans, Yeezys, or Nike Dunks, the models aren’t really expected to go up in resell value. Some models aren’t as limited as the sneakers that collectors look for, so they are not really a good investment for those who are looking to resell Common Projects sneakers.

Common Projects Sizing Guide

Most Common Projects sneakers run a size larger than usual. It’s recommended to either stay true to size or go a size down. A Men’s EU 46 is equivalent to 12.2 inches, which is equal to a UK 12 and a 13 for US sizing standards.

For the ladies, EU sizes are labeled as IT (Italy), an EU or IT 37 is equal to Women’s US Size 7. When converted to a UK size, it’s equivalent to UK 4. It’s also equal to FR (France) 38.

Those who are looking to purchase half sizes are advised to round to a whole size as Common Projects sneakers are only available in full sizes.

Conclusion

The brand’s only been in the industry for about 17 years, but the creative minds behind the ambitious project were surely ahead of their time. Who would’ve thought that early sneaker models and vintage silhouettes would end up becoming part of the modern footwear design trend?

Poopat and Girolami both went outside the box, at the same time maintaining the very essential aspects that made some of the most iconic sneakers become what they are now.