• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Stridewise

Stridewise

It's a Boot Time

  • Best Boots
  • Boot Reviews
    • Popular Reviews
      • Thursday Captain Boot
      • Red Wing Iron Ranger
      • Wolverine 1000 Mile
      • Viberg Service Boot
      • Grant Stone Diesel Boot
    • Cowboy Boots
    • Work Boots
    • All Reviews
    • Comparisons
      • Red Wing Iron Ranger Vs. Wolverine 1000 Mile
      • Timberlands Vs Doc Martens
      • Thursday’s Captain vs President Boots
      • All Comparisons
  • Boot Guides
  • Gear
    • Bags
      • Backpacks
      • Leather Bags
    • Denim
    • Jackets & Outerwear
      • Leather Jackets
      • Waxed Canvas Jackets
  • About
    • About Nick
    • Review Process
    • Our Experts
    • Revenue
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
Home › Footwear › Sneakers

A Luxury Sneaker That Won’t Crease? Meet the Idrese Nuno

Nick EnglishEditor-in-Chief
Updated May 21, 2024

This post may contain affiliate links that at no additional cost to you, I may earn a small commission from.

OK, it’s not an uncreasable shoe. But after a few weeks of wearing the Nuno from Idrese, I finally realized what was so different about this particular premium white calfskin sneaker: the leather hadn’t creased.

Between then and writing this review, I’ve worn them for about a month and it’s creased a little, but relative to my other luxury, minimalist white sneakers — Koio, Oliver Cabell, and Common Projects — it’s truly amazing at how much better the Nuno has stood up to daily wear.

Look. I’ve tried all those other sneakers. Click the links above to see the reviews; I’ve worn them hard and for roughly the same amount of time as the Nunos. Without fail, these competitors all creased deeply, even though they’ve been sitting in shoe trees between wears. 

Check out my video below to see some side by side leather comparisons and a full review of the Nuno:

$15 OFF!
Idrese Nuno Leather Sneakers
Idrese Nuno Leather Sneakers

Because these sneakers are made to order, the leather comes fresh and barely creases with wear. The best part? The design is totally customizable. Use the code "STRIDEWISE" for $15 off!

Get the Discount
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Table of Contents

Toggle
  • Idrese Nuno Leather
  • Idrese Nuno Sole
  • Idrese Nuno Fit & Sizing
  • Idrese Nuno Price
  • Idrese Nuno Pros and Cons

Idrese Nuno Leather

  • 1.9mm thick, meaty leather
  • Creases very little
  • Tanned in Chiamo, Italy
  • Box calf leather

So why doesn’t it crease much? There are two reasons:

  1. Because it is 1.9 millimeters thick, far thicker than most sneakers. For context, the Oliver Cabell is 1.3 millimeters, the Koio is 1.44 millimeters thick, Common Projects… well, they never communicate anything about their products, but it’s definitely thinner. My point is the Nuno is damned thick, and you can tell in the footage of me walking that it’s meaty leather.
  2. The shoes are made to order, so the leather is very fresh and hasn’t spent months drying out in a warehouse somewhere. That doesn’t just mean it creases less, it means it stretches more easily around the shape of your foot.
idrese nuno sneaker on feet

As you may have expected, like the competing brands, the Nuno is made from Italian leather. These shoes in particular are from a tannery called Conceria Tolio in Chiamo, not far from Verona in northern Italy, and it’s also used by luxury brands like Salvatore Ferragamo and Louis Vuitton.  

Another really interesting thing about this leather is that it’s actually box calf leather, which you normally get on fancy dress shoes like my Carmina Chelseas. Box calf is chrome tanned with an aniline finish and it’s really pliable and remarkably smooth, despite the fact that it hasn’t been corrected. 

[Further Reading: The 10 Best Common Projects Sneaker Alternatives]

idrese nuno sneaker soles

Idrese Nuno Sole

  • Margom outsole
  • Thicker than the competition
  • Cork midsole
  • Stitched construction
  • Fully lined

If you know a thing or two about premium minimalist sneakers, you probably know that “Margom” would be the next word you’d read.

All three of the other sneakers I’ve been mentioning are also made with Margom: it’s a brand well-known for their product consistency, resistance to abrasion and splitting, and its elastic quality. 

What’s interesting about Nuno is that once again, they’re thicker than the competition — the sole is significantly thicker than all the other brands. Take a look (the Nuno is on the right; you can see it’s a little bulkier all around):

idrese nuno vs koio vs oliver cabell vs common projects sole

So the sole can take more abuse than competitors. The founder of the company, Jawad, told me that he’s a heavyset dude who “take(s) very weighted steps,”  and he was tired of his shoes wearing out, so he made a minimalist sneaker that’s thicker everywhere than the competition.  

Another curious feature is that it has a cork midsole. That’s common in boots, but extremely uncommon in sneakers. These other three brands have nothing between the outsole and the footbed besides some cardboard in the Koio.

But the Nuno has a cork midsole, an old fashioned way to absorb shock and momentum. Plus, as you release heat from your foot into the footbed, the cork molds to the curves and crevices of your foot, enhancing comfort over time.

Further Reading

best loafers for men
10 Best Loafers For Men | Dressy, Chunky, Causal, & More

Looking for a versatile shoe that you can dress up or down? Learn more →

Lastly, this is made with stitched construction, not glued. Practically every sneaker on Earth is glued, or “cemented,” but the Nuno is stitched, making it more durable, improving the leather’s longevity, and helping ensure it won’t come apart from the sole at stress points. Ever owned Chuck Taylors? Noticed how the toebreak almost immediately picks up holes? You won’t get that here. 

idrese nuno sneaker nyc

Idrese Nuno Fit & Sizing

  • No half sizes
  • Size up if you’re between
  • Run a little small
  • Good shock asborption

The sizes go from 6 to 14, which is a pretty impressive range, but they don’t do half sizes. That’s completely normal for a newer brand, but to be honest, the sizing is my biggest complaint with the Nuno. 

My true size is 11.5, and for starters, their site specifically says that if you are an 11.5, then size down to an 11. It was too small. I sent them back and after waiting another two weeks for a new pair to get made, my 12s arrived and they were… OK. But I’m definitely a 12.5 on their sizing. In a 12, my toes are ever so slightly touching the end of the toebox, but a 13 would be far too big.

So, I’m waiting for them to get half sizes. I still wear these very regularly and plan to continue doing so, and the leather did stretch. But I would really like half sizes.

My advice is to size up 0.5 to 1 full size when ordering. I have no clue why they suggest sizing down on their site.

Good news, though: these leather sneakers come in wide widths. It’s not said so on the site, but just put a note in when you’re ordering and you can get them in EE width.

idrese nuno sneaker on table

Idrese Nuno Price

A pair of these shoes is $270, or $255 with the discount. code “STRIDEWISE”.

Compare that to:

  • Koio: $236 with the discount code “STRIDEWISE20”
  • Common Projects: $420
  • Oliver Cabell: $275

I think Koio offers the best value of the all these premium leather sneakers, but the leather and sole are so much thicker on the Nuno, it looks better as it ages, and it’s got a cork midsole. I honestly think the Nuno is pretty good value, and their higher price is justified. 

$15 OFF!
Idrese Nuno Leather Sneakers
Idrese Nuno Leather Sneakers

Because these sneakers are made to order, the leather comes fresh and barely creases with wear. The best part? The design is totally customizable. Use the code "STRIDEWISE" for $15 off!

Get the Discount
We earn a commission if you make a purchase, at no additional cost to you.

Idrese considers Koio biggest competitor, estimating that they cost 23 cents per wear versus Nuno’s 21 cents, assuming a 5-year lifespan. I suppose that means 10 percent better value, if you want to believe their numbers.

A slight bummer with Idrese’s buying process is that  you have to wait 2 or 3 weeks for the shoes to be made for you once you order them. 

What I like about the made-to-order model is that once you click “buy,” people in Spain leap to life and start assembling your shoes for you. It can feel a bit more special — the shoes that arrive are indeed made for you. More practically, the made-to-order model also helps to reduce the cost because Idrese doesn’t have to pay for big warehouses to store product.

Idrese also considers the made-to-order model crucial for the shoe’s comfort and longevity. The amount of time they exist between manufacturing and wearing, they say, is critical: you want to start wearing them and start molding the cork with your body heat before the cork is too old, and if the shoes sit in boxes for months then the leather will be dryer and crease more easily. The made-to-order aspect is a big part of why the shoes barely crease. 

So, all fine reasons to do made-to-order. You just need to be accept a two-ish week wait. 

[Further reading: The 10 Best Men’s Leather Sneakers]

idrese nuno sneaker in shorts

Idrese Nuno Pros and Cons

Let’s wrap this up.

Pros

  • Classic, minimalist design
  • And it barely creases
  • Thick leather, thick sole
  • Cork midsole
  • Good value
  • Free shipping worldwide

Cons

  • 2-3 week wait after purchasing
  • No half sizes
  • Not quite as low profile as competitors
idrese nuno sneakers after wear

Look, the big takeaway is that this is a fancy minimalist sneaker that barely creases and it’s cheaper than most of the competition. Fine, it’s not as cheap as discounted Koios, but the leather and sole are thicker and it’ll age better, so I’d argue it’s just as good value, if not better.

You do have to wait a few weeks to get them, but them being freshly made is a key reason why it doesn’t crease, and it’s not a long wait time at all when you consider that many boot brands take over 6 months!

My biggest complaint is that there are no half sizes, and even sizing up — the opposite of what you’re told to do on the site — resulted in a size that is still a hair too small. 

Lastly, I didn’t mention this earlier, but the silhouette is not quite as low profile as the other brands I looked at here. That’s important to emphasize: if you want a carbon copy of Common Projects, then the Nuno might not be quite what you’re after. The silhouette is a tad bulkier, like a compromise between Common Projects and Stan Smiths.

I’d like half sizes but besides that, there’s very little to criticize here. They’re really high quality, the cork filling adds comfort over time, and they’re more durable any other minimalist sneaker I’ve tried.

Nick English

Editor-in-Chief

Nick English, the founder and editor of Stridewise, combines a rich background in journalism with well-recognized expertise in welted footwear and casual menswear.

Facebook Twitter Instagram YouTube LinkedIn More articles by Nick English

You Might Also Like

common projects achilles sneaker review
Review: Is Common Projects the GOAT White Sneaker?
chuck taylor shoes featured
The Ultimate Chuck Taylor Sneaker Review: How to Clean, Style, and Work Out
best leather sneakers for men
9 Best Leather Sneakers for Men 2025 | Minimalist, Low Profile, Dressy Sneaks
Thursday Boots Sneaker Review | Is the Premier the Best Value White Sneaker?
Stridewise team

About Stridewise

by Nick English

Founded in 2018 to help men buy the best boots, we’ve since expanded our team and purview to review and celebrate casual footwear and menswear that’s as close to “buy it for life” quality as possible. We take great pride in being a trusted source for information while maintaining complete editorial independence. At no extra cost to you, we might earn a commission from a brand when you purchase through our links, which helps us keep our mission alive. Learn More

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Reader Interactions

Comments

    Join the Discussion Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  1. Tiernan

    November 18, 2020 at 11:15 am

    I clicked here from youtube and the review is really great, thanks for taking the time! I would love to see you compare this against the Crown Northampton Overstone Derby sneaker and see how they compare on a comfort and construction point of view after wearing them for a while. The Crown’s seem to tick all of the same boxes for the same price, made to order in England, thicker leather than the other options, slightly thicker profile than the ultra slim common projects et al. seem to be getting really good reviews from the people that know about them but they are still relatively small brand. Anyway hope you do find time to look at them in comparison but love what your doing and keep up the hard work!

    Reply
    • Nick

      November 22, 2020 at 10:33 pm

      Wow Tiernan, thanks for this thoughtful comment! I still need to review a bunch of sneakers like Greats and Beckett Simonon before doing something as niche s Idrese vs anything at all haha, they’re still such a small brand. Good food for thought, though!

      Reply
  2. Dave Alce

    January 8, 2021 at 1:41 am

    Nice pair of shoes. I bought it for my son last week and he loved it very much. Very comfortable and nice looking shoe. I bought it after reading your review. You provide the best and accurate information. Thanks a lot, man.

    Reply
    • Nick

      January 18, 2021 at 6:52 pm

      Hey that’s excellent Dave, nice work! Getting the right white sneaker for a young dude can be a real trial, glad you nailed it first try!

      Reply
  3. James Stuart

    July 8, 2022 at 2:04 am

    Hey! I am curious in buying these shoes. How have they held up?

    Reply
    • Nick English

      July 9, 2022 at 7:50 pm

      Very well, James!

      Reply
  4. Yash Pathi

    May 27, 2023 at 1:23 pm

    Hey! I was looking to buy chelsea boots in particular the Harvey and was hoping you were able to tell me if the cm to US sizing is a good way to go about it for an accurate measure.
    Based off of the length I’m recommended a 11 but the corresponding UK and EU sizes seem so inflated I feel like it would be way too big!

    Reply
    • Nick English

      June 6, 2023 at 1:46 pm

      Idrese’s Chelseas I’m true to size, don’t size down!

      Reply
  5. Yash Pathi

    May 27, 2023 at 1:29 pm

    Hey! I saw that you struggled with sizing a bit, I was hoping to buy the Harvey chelsea boot and was wondering if you found the foot length size (cm) to US size or whatever size accurate! Thank you

    Reply
    • Nick English

      June 26, 2023 at 12:56 pm

      With Idrese? Go true to size, don’t size down on their Chelseas.

      Reply
  6. Sebastian

    July 29, 2023 at 12:55 am

    I ordered a pair of low top trainers, the quality of the execution of the shoes is very low. Avoid this company.

    Reply
    • Nick English

      September 7, 2023 at 2:55 pm

      What didn’t you like about it?

      Reply

Primary Sidebar

Want to dress better?

See which boots suit your preferences and style.

My Top Picks

Most Popular

Best made in usa boots

The 10 Best American-Made Boots

Best chelsea boots for men 1024x576 1

The 10 Best Chelsea Boots

best moc toe boot

The 6 Best Moc Toe Boots

Stridewise team

About Stridewise

by Nick English

Founded in 2018 to help men buy the best boots, we’ve since expanded our team and purview to review and celebrate casual footwear and menswear that’s as close to “buy it for life” quality as possible. We take great pride in being a trusted source for information while maintaining complete editorial independence. At no extra cost to you, we might earn a commission from a brand when you purchase through our links, which helps us keep our mission alive. Learn More

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Most Recent

Cadet featured image

Thursday Cadet Boot Review: One Boot Made Two Different Ways

Favorite cowboy boots featured

He Owns 60 Western Boots; Here’s his top 5

Barefooot boots featured image

Boots vs Barefoot Shoes: A Podiatrist’s Pros and Cons

Red wing chukka review featured

Red Wing Work Chukka Boot Review: 8 Years and One Resole

How to wear camp collar shirt

How to Wear Camp Collar Shirts: Style Tips Every Guy Should Know

Trending Now

  • a man pondering the best boots for men16 Best Boots For Men to Buy Tested By Experts (Spring 2025)
  • thursday captain boot weltThursday Captain Boot Review (2024) | Five Years Testing the “Anywhere Boot”
  • grant stone diesel boot reviewGrant Stone Diesel Boot Review | Better Value Than You Think
  • red wing iron ranger reviewRed Wing Iron Ranger Boots Review: 6 Years In the Ultimate Casual Boot
Stridewise

Casual Durable™.

Yup, we even trademarked it. Just because you’re dressed down, doesn’t mean you have to dress bad. 

This site started to help guys find the best boots for their dollar and has since expanded to cover the highest quality casual menswear, from leather jackets to selvedge jeans to canvas bags — the kind of simple, fashionproof classics that help you get dressed without overthinking your “style.” Read more

  • About
  • Careers
  • Contact
  • Our Experts

11 Ways to Save Money on Boots

Subscribe for an exclusive article to help you find the best deals on quality footwear.

Articles by Category

  • Accessories
  • Backpacks
  • Bags
  • Boot & Leather Care
  • Boot Guides
  • Boot Reviews
  • Boots
  • Briefcases
  • Clothing
  • Comparison
  • Cowboy Boots
  • Culture
  • Denim
  • Denim Jackets
  • Denim Review
  • Fabric
  • Footwear
  • Hats
  • Jackets & Outerwear
  • Leather Bags
  • Leather Conditioners
  • Leather Jackets
  • Loafers
  • Pens
  • Shirts
  • Sneakers
  • Waxed Canvas Jackets
  • Women's Boots
  • Work Boots
  • Facebook
  • TikTok
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • Pinterest
  • LinkedIn
  • X

© 2025 · Stridewise · All Rights Reserved · Terms · Privacy · Affiliate Disclosure · Accessibility