Le Shouvre

There are lots of places online that sell plain white canvas shoes, of all different styles and varieties. Here are a few of the more well-known…

(More recommendations are welcome!)

Vans – the classic plain white Off-the-Wall Slip-Ons are well designed, comfortable, and highly customizable. Available in official Vans stores (there’s one in Paris and two in London), as well as most high street shoe shops.

Online, you can pick them up through Office and Amazon, as well as a host of other sites. Similar styles include lace-ups and hi-tops.

Plimsoles – back in the day, these shoes would have been worn for P.E. class, and little more than that. However, in recent years they have made a huge comeback. They are perfect for Le Shouvre, because they vary in both style and price.

The basic model looks like this, and works great on guys and girls of all ages. Office do a nice affordable version, as do Topshop and Next. For the more designer-savvy, look towards the likes of Keds, Fred Perry, and Firetrap. As with most products, price usually corresponds with quality – the more expensive (especially if made by a proper shoe brand, as opposed to a retail chain), the better made, and often the longer-lasting.

Some of these brands also do slip-on versions of the plimsole, which offer a cheaper and less-chunky alternative to the Vans slip-ons. For girls, it is also possible to find open-top styles that are more slender and fitting. It’s definitely worth browsing the Office website, or checking out one of their retail outlets.

Espadrilles – perfect for the summer weather, these thin canvas-and-rope/rubber combinations are customizable and affordable. Again, check out Office, or look for more authentic brands – espadrille.co.uk is another good place to start.

Converse All-Stars – “the most successful shoe in history” can be successfully customized to your liking. There isn’t as much white space as with other shoes, but what you lose in design space you gain in old-school credibility. Available pretty much anywhere that sells trainers, in hi-top and lo-top versions.

Others – this list only scratches the surface of canvas shoes available. Next time you’re in a shoe shop, have a quick glance around – at least a quarter of the shoes you see will be made of canvas. Look for white ones – other colours are also customizable, but white works the best, as you can paint anything on it.

Other brands that sell plain white canvas shoes in high-street shops include:

K Swiss

Lacoste

Ted Baker

… to name a few…

The big names in footwear also try their hand at the canvas game from time to time: Nike and Puma have both got canvas shoes on the market, and even high-fashion luminaries like Chanel have been known to release the occasional canvas pump.

So really, all you’ve got to do is start looking…