This page is for anyone who wants the Common Projects look — clean Italian-made leather low-tops, no logo, muted colours — without buying the same Achilles again. The closest swaps are footwear-first labels: JAK Shoes, Axel Arigato and VEJA all build around undecorated leather sneakers at or below Common Projects money. The clothing brands here matter for a different reason: they dress the same minimalist wardrobe the Achilles was designed to finish.
Lisbon-based footwear brand making minimalist unisex leather sneakers handmade in northern Portugal, sold through its own stores and online.
Why it's similar. JAK Shoes embraces a minimalist style with a focus on high-quality materials, similar to Common Projects.
Swedish minimalist label founded in Stockholm in 1993, making pared-back womenswear and menswear staples alongside a resale platform.
Why it's similar. Stockholm minimalism in muted tailoring, knitwear and leather accessories — the same restrained, logo-free register as Common Projects, now under OJ Holding Sweden with a Preowned resale platform.
Copenhagen womenswear label founded in 2020 by Sophia Roe and Charlotte Eskildsen, built on minimalist knitwear and tailoring in natural and recycled fabrics.
Why it's similar. Emphasizes minimalist and timeless designs similar to Common Projects, using premium, often sustainable materials.
Stockholm fashion house founded in 1996 by Jonny Johansson, known for oversized tailoring, mohair knitwear, denim and the Musubi bag.
Why it's similar. Acne Studios shares a contemporary yet minimalist aesthetic, appealing to similar fashion sensibilities as Common Projects.
Seoul label founded in 2018 by Hong Loco, making minimalist, fabric-led menswear with relaxed modern tailoring in muted neutral palettes.
Why it's similar. Minimalist style and premium natural fibers align closely with Common Projects' focus on luxury and simplicity.
Paris label founded in 1987 by Jean Touitou, known for raw selvedge denim, Demi-Lune bags and understated, long-lasting wardrobe basics.
Why it's similar. A.P.C. delivers minimalist aesthetics with luxury fabrics, resonating well with Common Projects' core identity.
Seoul-based contemporary label, spun out of Korean group LF, making minimal unisex staples in denim, shirting and knitwear.
Why it's similar. Both brands showcase a commitment to minimalist aesthetics, using high-quality materials and maintaining a structured fit.
Veilance is Arc'teryx's Vancouver-born city line, applying Gore-Tex construction and minimalist tailoring to monochrome technical outerwear and trousers.
Why it's similar. Both brands emphasize technical aspects and minimalist design with high-quality materials.
London menswear label from tailor Oliver Spencer, making relaxed suiting, workwear jackets and knitwear from British and Italian fabrics.
Why it's similar. London menswear built on British and Italian mill fabrics and relaxed, unstructured tailoring — quiet quality at a comparable med-high price, and an obvious wardrobe to wear Achilles low-tops with.
London label founded in 1994, built on leather biker jackets and washed, rock-referencing basics in a muted monochrome palette.
Why it's similar. Shares the grey, black and khaki monochrome palette and leather-led focus, though the rock-referencing, washed aesthetic is grittier than Common Projects' clean lines.
Swedish contemporary label known for minimal leather sneakers like the Clean 90, plus pared-back ready-to-wear sold largely direct-to-consumer.
Why it's similar. The closest direct sneaker rival after JAK: the Clean 90 is a pared-back leather low-top at a similar price, sold direct-to-consumer from Gothenburg alongside minimal ready-to-wear.
Scandinavian-minded direct-to-consumer womenswear label known for minimal wool and cashmere coats produced in small runs at below-luxury prices.
Why it's similar. Direct-to-consumer Scandinavian minimalism — neutral wool and cashmere coats, blazers and tailored trousers in small runs priced under conventional luxury markups.
French sneaker brand making Brazilian-produced low-tops from Amazonian wild rubber, organic cotton and recycled materials, sold with no advertising spend.
Why it's similar. French-designed, Brazilian-made minimal low-tops such as the V-10 and Campo, a price tier below Common Projects, with wild rubber and chrome-free leather in place of Italian calfskin.
Rei Kawakubo's Tokyo label, founded 1969, known for avant-garde pattern-cutting, a family of sub-labels and the heart-logo Play diffusion line.
Why it's similar. Japanese design-led alternative for the logo-averse, though Rei Kawakubo's avant-garde pattern-cutting is far more conceptual than Common Projects' restraint; the Play line's Converse collabs are the accessible entry.
Kering-owned Paris luxury house, founded 1961, led by Anthony Vaccarello and known for sharp tailoring, leather outerwear and Loulou and Kate bags.
Why it's similar. The luxury step up: Kering-owned Paris tailoring and slim leather outerwear for shoppers who want sharper, higher-shine pieces than Common Projects' understatement.
British label founded by Paul Smith in 1970, known for traditional tailoring twisted with bright colour, stripes and prints across menswear and womenswear.
Why it's similar. British tailoring at a comparable med-high price, with the same emphasis on construction but a playful use of colour and the Artist Stripe instead of neutral minimalism.
Japanese heritage sneaker and lifestyle label owned by Asics, best known for the retro Mexico 66 trainer.
Why it's similar. Low-profile retro leather and suede trainers like the Mexico 66 at a lower price — a slimmer, more heritage-shaped alternative to the Achilles.
American sneaker brand behind the Chuck Taylor All Star, Nike-owned since 2003 and currently working through a steep multi-year sales decline.
Why it's similar. The cheapest clean low-top on this list: the Chuck 70 and One Star give you a simple canvas or leather silhouette for a fraction of Common Projects money.
Berlin-based minimalist footwear label, founded 2015, producing leather shoes and bags in family-run Italian factories and selling largely direct-to-consumer.
German-founded, Milan-based luxury house known for minimalist tailoring, now owned by OTB and designed by Simone Bellotti.
Tokyo brand founded in 2003 by Eiichiro Homma, blending GORE-TEX outdoor construction with restrained, everyday sportswear and soft tailoring.
Tokyo label by Kiichiro Asakawa making genderless, minimal tailoring and wardrobe staples in unusual Japanese fabrics with quietly deconstructed silhouettes.
Disco ranks brand alternatives using style overlap, category overlap, price tier, fit, colour palette, and cultural context. Scores are directional, not absolute. Read the full methodology →
| # | Brand | Similarity | Best for | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | JAK Shoes | 88% | Minimalist | Similar |
| 2 | Filippa K | — | Similar | |
| 3 | The Garment | 85% | Minimalist | Similar |
| 4 | Acne Studios | 82% | Contemporary | More premium |
| 5 | Merely Made | 82% | Minimalist | Similar |
| 6 | A.P.C. | 80% | Contemporary | More premium |
| 7 | Dunst | 80% | Minimalist | Similar |
| 8 | Arc’teryx Veilance | 75% | Minimalist | More premium |
| 9 | Oliver Spencer | — | Similar | |
| 10 | AllSaints | — | Similar | |
| 11 | Axel Arigato | — | Similar | |
| 12 | The Curated | — | Similar | |
| 13 | VEJA | — | Similar | |
| 14 | Comme des Garçons | — | Similar | |
| 15 | Yves Saint Laurent | — | More premium | |
| 16 | Paul Smith | — | Similar | |
| 17 | Onitsuka Tiger | — | Cheaper | |
| 18 | Converse | — | Cheaper | |
| 19 | AEYDE | — | Similar | |
| 20 | Jil Sander | — | Similar | |
| 21 | Nanamica | — | Similar | |
| 22 | stein | — | Similar |
JAK Shoes. It makes unisex minimalist leather sneakers handmade in northern Portugal at roughly €150-290, with the same undecorated full-grain leather uppers and muted colourways that define the Achilles — for less money.
Yes. VEJA sits a price tier lower with Brazilian-made low-tops in organic cotton, wild rubber and chrome-free leather, and Onitsuka Tiger's Mexico 66 and Converse's Chuck 70 are cheaper again if you want a retro low-profile shape rather than a clean leather court shoe.
The Achilles low-top: Italian calfskin, slim rubber sole, and a ten-digit gold serial number stamped on the heel that encodes style, size and colour. That number is the only visible branding on the shoe.
Most of them. A.P.C., Filippa K, Acne Studios, The Garment, Merely Made, Dunst, Oliver Spencer, Paul Smith, AllSaints, Comme des Garçons, Arc'teryx Veilance and Saint Laurent are clothing labels included because they dress the same minimalist wardrobe. Only JAK, Axel Arigato, VEJA, Onitsuka Tiger and Converse are shoe-led.
Several. A.P.C. sold a controlling stake to L Catterton in 2023, Filippa K was acquired by OJ Holding Sweden in April 2025, Eurazeo has held a majority of Axel Arigato since 2020, Converse is Nike-owned, Onitsuka Tiger sits under Asics, and Saint Laurent belongs to Kering. All still trade normally.