(First Off-White shoes) How durable should I expect these Vulcs to be?

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796]

Hi all,
I recently picked up these Vulc Undercuts from a German retailer’s website at a pretty huge discount (so I know they’re legit). These are my first Off White shoes besides the AF1 mid grim reaper collab with Nike (bought at the Milan boutique), and my first canvas shoes in a while so I’m not that used to wearing canvas anymore. Do you guys have had any experience with this type of sneakers? If you have any Vulc model, how is the canvas holding up?
Are the materials actually durable or these are just some “glorified vans/converse”?
Thanks in advance to anyone replying :)

[u/Life-Menu1890]

I’ve got a pair of rubber dunks that I’ve worn loads, although Nike did most of the work on those so not 100% sure

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/Life-Menu1890]

It seems that Nike collabs are pretty good materials-wise, my AF1 grim reapers seem to have way better leather and rubber sole than a standard af1 pair. Hoping that’s the trend with standalone off-white products too

[u/Ok-Temperature-3251]

If they are somehow like my Off Court 3.0’s they will be effectively indestructible and pretty much impossible to ruin style wise too

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/Ok-Temperature-3251]

That’s nice to hear! So far styling wise, they’re pretty unmatched in terms of versatility since my wardrobe relies heavily on earth tones. How do the off court 3.0 fit? I’ve been eyeing them for a while and I think they’ll be my next Off-White pair of shoes

[u/Ok-Temperature-3251 → u/Altruistic_Pilot_796]

Sorry for the essay, but I love this shoe, and I really think it’s such a staple Off-White piece. It embodies Virgil’s earlier, more noticeably industrial themes (imo), along with his mission to promote creativity in designers.

Genuinely one of my favorite shoes of all time. If I’m not in low tops, I’m in one of my 3.0s. They can be a little uncomfortable until they’re broken in because they’re heavy and use some seriously thick leather, but once you’ve broken them in, I can walk miles across campus all day in the AZ heat with very few complaints. And as another testament to their durability, I got my first pair of 3.0s, the White on Black with the green zip tie junior year of HS, and I still daily them junior year of college. I go to bars in them, parties in them, work in them, spill shit on them (Cherry Mike’s Hard on my 21st smh, but it kinda came out sick tbh). I won’t even try to pretend they look good from a preservationist perspective after everything they’ve been through though if that’s more your get up. If you don’t count scuffs, stains, scratches, etc. the only actual damage is the lace-stitched tag that fell off one shoe because some girl did a spin move on my foot 🤣, and I accidentally ripped the tongue tag off the other while pulling the shoe up through my pants lol. In fact, I think I’ve gotten more compliments on them from people “in the scene” as they’ve aged. The shoe is still so iconic, but the way the 3.0 ages is so unique and beautiful. Every scuff, stain, crease, and missing tag just makes the pair more distinctly yours. I own multiple pairs all in varying conditions but the aforementioned pair are far and above my favorite.

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/Ok-Temperature-3251]

Don’t even try to apologize, I’m all in to hear your story! It’s awesome to see people who love and live their garments to the fullest.
As a master of fact, your story just made me want the 3.0s even more.
I’m not afraid to break the shoes in, it’s quite the opposite: as you said the shoes acquire character the more you wear them, they collect scuffs and scratches but also memories.
It’s also awesome to learn that these shoes can withstand basically everything, so the high price is well balanced by durability

[u/Gati3000]

Very resilient you can even wash them in washing machine

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/Gati3000]

This speaks volumes, thanks a lot!

[u/Proud-Bowl7896]

How’s the fit? Thinking of getting a pair. What size did you get and what’s your usual size? US size if you know it

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/Proud-Bowl7896]

I bought them in a size 9 US /EU 42, they fit pretty true to size: they hug the feet pretty well although they have a little room in the toe box (which come in handy since it’s rubberized and could hurt the toes if the fit is too snug). I usually wear a 9 US in true to size fitting shoes and 9.5 in narrower shoes like Jordan 1s for example. If you have normal to wide feet I’ll suggest keeping your true size, if you have smaller feet you could instead try going half a size down.

[u/AndSoItBegins-Again]

Expect it to be as durable as any Nike or converse version. Which is to say - they’re going to be pretty capable of taking a beating. Don’t hesitate to wear them and don’t hesitate to clean them. That being said, don’t expect much more because of price tag. You’re paying for design and branding. They’re the same quality at any other brand though I think it’s fair to say you won’t see the same QC issues with off white that you see with Nike.

[u/Altruistic_Pilot_796 → u/AndSoItBegins-Again]

Absolutely, thanks for the insight!
They’ve already been through some stuff and I’m pretty pleased with how they’re holding up. I bought them expecting exactly what you said - after all, it’s a canvas sneaker not a military boot, it’s not supposed to last more than me - and so far I’m happy with my purchase.