Have you ever seen the documentary Helvetica? Yes, it's about the typeface (a typeface that, incidentally, you're reading a copy of right now, Microsoft's Arial). One of the subjects in the film talks about the exhilaration a designer must feel when given license to clear away old, overdesigned logos and complicated gothic script and replace them with text in simple, clean, honest Helvetica.

Common Projects shoes are the footwear equivalent of Helvetica. Sweep away all tech gimmickry meant for the playing field, garish color combinations, unnecessary complications that add bulk but not style, and you have Common Projects. The sneaker and shoe styles have universal and understated appeal, and match well with a variety of personal aesthetics. The desert boots are narrow, not blobby, and work with denim or chinos; the Achilles model, a perennial in Common Projects collections, even looks great with tailored clothing, as hesitant as I might be to make the sneaker/suit recommendation. Read more Captoe sneaks are a little sportier, and if you are looking for the distillation of the dress shoe, Common Projects has created a balmoral oxford in leather that is sleek but not smarmy.

All Common Projects shoes are made in Italy of soft but durable leather and long-lasting man-made materials. The only branding is literal: a series of gold digits stamped into the heel marking each shoe as a Common Projects creation. The effect is minimal but striking. These shoes don't say more than they should about the wearer, they let him speak for himself. Much like a good typeface fades into the background and allows the words do the talking.

Written by Pete Anderson

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