You Don't Need to Father a Child to Rock a Great Pair of Dad Shoes

If you're still thinking huge and chunky for dad shoe, this isn't exactly that. But Adidas's Terrex Skychaser is durable. Practical. In dark, tough colors that don't shoe stains as obviously. Plus, their waterproof. Smart dads know.

These Reeboks have everything the quintessential dad shoe requires: a not-quite-sleek silhouette, some random colors, and a sole that reads there are tattered jeans above this.

We've got that old-school runner shape but in a crazy comfortable shoe and high-quality materials.

To some shoe-wearing dads, shoes mean outdoor practicality. We can get on board with that, particularly if the are done up in a less-sad color than brown or dirt tan.

There's something about a plain, minimalist gray shoe that screams comfort is pretty dad coded. But these mean it in a good way. Easy, well-priced, and comfy.

I think my actual dad owns these actual shoes, and they are pretty tame when you think of how egregious a dad shoe can get. These are soft, stretchy, and for some reason this slightly muted blue feels extremely dad.

With its unmatched stability, comfort, and form, it's no wonder the Bondi 9 is a favorite around these parts. These are cushioned for days and excellent for lots of standing or walking.

The exact kind of shoe that my dad would wear on a begrudging run to the grocery store on behalf of my mother, who is in dire and urgent need of olive oil or whatever.

Dads are king of the household—you know, like the monarch. Nike hits the nail on the head yet again. These are extraordinarily dad, so proceed with caution.

Here's a rhapsody in blue (and green and white) that's shock absorbing, comfortable, good-looking, and all that jazz.

New Balance never went away, but it did have a comeback of sorts a few years ago. The brand became cool again, garnering the same kind of fanfare that it received in 1982, when its 990, the dad shoe to end all dad shoes, was released.

New Balance is so synonymous with dad shoes that it deserves two slots on this list, especially for the 993, a shoe made famous by Steve Jobs.

We're not going to say something is great unless it's actually great. Every product in Esquire's roundups is carefully chosen by our fashion and e-commerce teams.

Here we've compiled the dad shoes we've tried, tested, and loved, as well as the dad shoes that the rest of our stylish colleagues here at Esquire endorse for their own use. They're cool, comfortable, and, well, dad-like. We've put in the research, we've worn these ourselves, and now we're recommending them to you because they're just that good.

No two tastes are the same, and no two men are the same. Your proverbial mileage may vary. But if you're looking for the right place to start, with advice from folks who care (possibly too much!) about this sort of stuff, this is the place to be.