Cole Haan's new futuristic dress shoes are the most comfortable pair I've ever worn — here's why they're worth the cost (2024)

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• Cole Haan's new 3.ZERØGRAND styles are redefining the definition of "dress shoe." By pushing innovation in aesthetics and comfort, the collection takes dress shoes to the future.
• Coming in leather wingtips, leather chukka boots, and an all-new fused nylon, each shoe in the collection uses the redesigned GRAND.ØS sole, which has an anatomical shape that closely mimics the motion of feet all wrapped up in a lightweight design.
• After regularly wearing the previous 2.ZERØGRAND since its launch last year, I had high expectations for the new 3.ZERØGRAND and it exceeded all of them.
• The Cole Haan3.ZERØGRAND is an all-around better shoe in terms of comfort and available styles, with prices starting at $270 for theFuse Oxfords.

Dressing comfortably for the office has become a lot easier with plenty of performance workwear options popping up, but the most important part of an outfit — shoes — have long lacked in progress.

One of the few companies that has made real strides in modernizing dress shoes for today's comfort standards is Cole Haan, and their ZERØGRAND line is at the helm of innovation. The recently released 3.ZERØGRAND Collection takes dress shoes beyond present day and into the future.

Following last year's 2.ZERØGRAND Wingtip Oxford with Stitchlite, a shoe that we've praised for its sneaker-like comfort and professional look, the new 3.ZERØGRAND is proof that Cole Haan relentlessly pushes the envelope, even when the pinnacle of comfortable work shoes had seemingly already been achieved by the company's previous variations.

Coming in three unique iterations, the Fuse Oxford, the Wingtip Oxford, and the Chukka Boot, the 3.ZERØGRAND appeals to a wider range of people by offering different benefits. Designed for the traveler, the Fuse Oxford uses an all-new fused nylon upper that's super breathable, lightweight, and easy to pack away. The Wingtip Oxford uses premium leather uppers with brogue detailing, which is ideal for still executing a more classic dress shoe look. Lastly, the Chukka Boot comes as a great fall and winter choice with its at-the-ankle height that's excellent for city dwellers who walk a lot.

While each shoe serves a slightly different purpose, the redesigned GRAND.ØS sole found on every pair is what makes the 3.ZERØGRAND Collection so special. Compared to the 2.ZERØGRAND that featured a mostly-flat bottom with one-directional flex grooves, the 3.ZERØGRAND uses a more anatomical shape, traction pods that double as two-way flex grooves, and a large carved-out section for the arch. The skeletal lining on the midfoot arch extends to the heel for support without adding a lot of extra weight.

The 2.ZERØGRAND with Stitchlite is a shoe that I've worn regularly to the office since first reviewing it almost a year ago, so I was very excited about the launch of the 3.ZERØGRAND. Cole Haan sent me a pair to try out and they're a huge improvement in comfort over the previous model.

This time around, I decided to go with the leather Wingtip Oxford in Cordovan leather because the 3.ZERØGRAND silhouette is very futuristic and more sneaker-like than ever. I thought that the leather upper would be a great way to bring it closer to a formal dress shoe and that's absolutely the case. The premium leather is very soft and required no break-in time, which was one of my main concerns.

Initially, I was worried that choosing leather over a more innovative material like the new Fuse nylon or the 2.ZERØGRAND's Stitchlite, would be a sacrifice in comfort, but luckily I was wrong. They were comfortable right out of the box. Some key changes from the last model are that the sock liners are padded around the heel and tongue and the GRAND.ØS insoles are a lot more gel-like.

Ordering the right size is key to getting a comfortable fit like I did. Lengthwise, I would recommend going down half a size. The shoes do run rather narrow, so if you have a wider foot, you should consider the wide shoe.It's worth noting that if the worn-in look bothers you, Fuse is a better choice. Naturally, leather creases more predominantly than Fuse or Stitchlite.

Priced at $270 for the Fuse Oxford, $320 for the Chukka Boot, and $300 to $400 for the Wingtip Oxford depending on the leather, the Cole Haan 3.ZERØGRANDis more expensive than an average pair of dress shoes, but is completely justifiable. I doubt you'll be able to find a more comfortable pair of dress shoes (and I test them for a living). A pair of gel insoles still won't bring them to this level. I was able to wear them on my commute to work, all day at the office, and back home without any pain or discomfort. Compared to traditional dress shoes, they're much lighter and allow motion like running sneakers.

Whether you're looking for shoes that can match up to your modern performance workwear or you're tired of wearing actual sneakers on your commute, the Cole Haan 3.ZERØGRANDis the best choice in comfort.

Shop the Cole Haan 3.ZERØGRAND Collection here, $270-$400