Reebok Shadoray - Stand-In for Stan Smith at $55

GEAR REVIEW — FOOTWEAR

Reebok Shadoray: A Stan Smith Stand-In for $55

A comfortable, basic white sneaker that looks a lot like the one I actually wanted.

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$55

Price

10.5

Size

1-2 Years

Expected Wear

$50

Stan Smith Deal

Table of Contents

1. ①Another Pair of White Sneakers
2. ②Where It Falls Short of the Stan Smith
3. ③Is $55 Fair?
4. ④The All-White Rotation

Section I

Another Pair of White Sneakers

I wanted to try another pair of white sneakers, so I picked up the Reebok Shadoray in a size 10.5. They cost $55.  As these are narrow shoes, sizing up is recommended.

Overall, they are comfortable. They also look like what they cost, which is to say basic and a little cheap.

Section II

Where It Falls Short of the Stan Smith

The sole is the first giveaway. It feels supple and gives when I press hard into it, which is nothing like the tough rubber sole of the Stan Smith.

The inside is the other tell. The Stan Smith is leather inside and out, while the Shadoray has similar leather outside but a more cloth-like interior padding, much like the Nike Air Force 1.

Otherwise, the Shadoray is a direct copy of the Stan Smith's silhouette. That's both its appeal and its problem.

SIDE BY SIDE

Shadoray vs. Stan Smith

Based on what I've noticed wearing both, not lab measurements.

Specification	Reebok Shadoray	Adidas Stan Smith
	$55	Usually ~$50 on sale
BUILD
Exterior	Leather	Leather
Interior	Cloth-like padding	All leather
Sole	Supple, gives under pressure	Tough rubber
VERDICT
Silhouette	Near copy	Original
Overall feel	Basic, a bit cheap	Better aesthetics

Section III

Is $55 Fair?

For $55, these are okay, but nothing spectacular. In hindsight, I should have gone with the Puma Suede at the same price.

Still, if they give me one to two years of solid daily wear, I can live with that. I'm also waiting to score another pair of Stan Smiths for $50, like I used to, but I haven't seen them on sale again yet.

Section IV

The All-White Rotation

I'm settling into an all-white sneaker collection anchored by the Nike AF1 and the Stan Smith. The Shadoray is a candidate to join them as I look for something to round out the mix.

White sneakers are more versatile than people expect, and they stay fairly clean if you wipe them down soon after wearing.

Longer term, I'd like a pair of Common Projects to be the halo set. For now, the Stan Smith does just fine.