One of my favorite independent footwear brands

+ I'm giving away three pairs of shoes (details inside).

The rise of alternative shoes

A while back, a friend here in Amsterdam put me onto a new sneaker brand. Two French guys—Mathias and François—who’ve been best friends forever and started this thing together.

We met and talked about design, creative life, and what it’s like to build something from scratch.

They handed me a pair of their shoes. I’ve been wearing them ever since.

Over time, we became friends. And now I just want to support what they’re building—because it feels real. No fluff. No hype cycle. Just a couple of guys making good shoes with intention.

And that’s kind of the point.

That brand would be Neutra.

The tides are turning a bit

We’ve spent decades seeing big sneaker brands dominate the market. Nike, Adidas, New Balance. All brands I love and still wear. They’ve made fantastic product. But the space is shifting.

Over the last 10 years, smaller independent footwear brands have carved out a corner of the market—and they’re doing it in a quieter, more thoughtful way.

They’re not chasing trends. They’re not making shoes for the resale market.

They’re building for the in-between moments:

Walking to the studio. Riding your bike to get coffee. Running errands. Living life.

Why I like them

The brand Mathias and François are building fits right into that sweet spot. And their core shoe—the Hakone—has become part of my weekly rotation. Not because it’s flashy.

But because it works.

It’s got a Vibram sole, which means it’s comfortable and holds up over time.
It’s got a low-key, classic silhouette—something you can wear with anything—jeans, cargos, shorts, whatever.

And it feels like a studio shoe. Something made for people who build things.
Reminds me of what Tom Sachs was going for with the Nike GPS, minus the NASA story.

Just simple, well-made, and designed to be used, not put on a shelf.

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So this week I’m giving away 3 pairs!

Alright, alright, now to the fun part! Neutra is kind enough to give 3 pairs of their Hakone trainers to 3 of you (one per person).

Details:

We’ll contact the winners via DM on IG, and you must reply within 24 hours with their email. Neutra will then send you a special code to use at checkout to claim the reward.

Start date: Now!

End date: Thursday, May 29th at 11am ET

How to win:

1. Follow both neutra and sprezza on Instagram.

2. Like this giveaway post.

3. Tag a friend in the comments in the giveaway post (1 tag = 1 extra entry).

4. Winners will be announced by 11am ET on May 29th and must reply within 24 hours to claim.

5. Neutra will handle fulfillment and give winners a custom code at checkout.

NOTE: Sprezza paid subscribers will receive 10 entries. Free subscribers get 1 entry. If you’ve been on the fence about subscribing, now would be a good time. You get access to all our seasonal and city shopping guides :)

Good luck fam!