The Reebok Club C 85 Is the Last Sneaker I'll Ever Buy

Forty years later, Reebok’s quiet icon remains undefeated at sporty, goes-with anything simplicity. Yes, the Club C is comfy (shout out a wide toe box, cozy terry lining, and my love of tying them once and leaving them that way). Yes, it's perfectly competent at the gym for any non-treadmill-based workout. But the Club C’s unmatched super power is its aggressively anonymous look.

This sneaker is as at-home with mesh shorts as it is anchoring relaxed-fit jeans or big chinos. As a person who gets fit-induced decision paralysis just putting on clothes for a run to the grocery store, I know I can never go wrong trust-falling into a pair of Club Cs. (The JJJJound version ditch the Union Jack flag, but beyond that, and in typical JJJJound fashion, the differences are negligible.) It’s an enormous relief to pull on a pair of kicks without worrying that they’re stealing the spotlight—or worse, ruining a fit.

If I have any other confessions to make, it’s that my heavily toasted Club Cs have been so easy to rely on partly because I’m wearing sneakers less than ever. After years of throwing elbows for limited-edition collab pre-registration raffle-only sneakerhead grails, I’ve pivoted my energies elsewhere. We’re going through a men’s shoe-with-a-capital-S renaissance, and the footwear I’ve splurged on recently are derbies, loafers, and chunky-treaded leather boots that hold down pressed chinos and a double-breasted blazer while also making a hoodie and jeans feel more special. Maybe that’s personal growth, but it could also just be life in a post-streetwear world.

Even though I’ve had some unworn, regular ol’, non-special edition white-and-navy Club Cs in the back of my closet, ready for the day I finally retire my overcooked pair, I’m really itching to replace my toasted JJJJounds Club Cs. Is paying $400 resale for plain Reeboks that only sneaker sickos would recognize the move of a backsliding man? Or am I just giving myself the gift of my personal platonically ideal sneakers? Sneakers I know I’ll wear over and over (and over, and over) again. Like all things Club C, I’m just not gonna overthink it.