In 2020, a YouTuber named Weston Kay, who goes by the handle Rose Anvil, cut apart over a dozen shoes in an effort to crown the “world’s best white sneaker.”
While the Capri from upstart Koio performed admirably among iconic shoes like the Adidas Stan Smith and Common Projects Achilles Low, there was still plenty of room for improvement, Kay deduced, including the use of chrome-tanned leather.
Years later, the YouTuber, who now counts over a million subscribers to his channel, took it upon himself to address his concerns directly.
The Koio x Rose Anvil Triple White Capri is a new collaboration between Kay and Koio that doesn’t just represent the best shoe in the brand’s quickly expanding catalog but one ready to go toe to toe with the best white sneakers money can buy.
A sneaker should be a “sneaker”
Kay connected with Koio cofounder and CEO Johannes Quodt about creating a shoe together. After testing a few ideas and building a few prototypes, the two settled on building the best “true” leather sneaker possible.
By their definition, Kay and Quodt determined that a “true” sneaker should use actual sneaker-making techniques. In contrast, many high-end leather sneakers — including those that have historically earned high marks from Kay — borrow insole and welt techniques from boot and dress shoe construction.