I bought my Gucci Ace Sneakers last spring, and they are easily my most worn luxury shoes. Throughout last spring, summer, and fall, I wore them at least three times a week. I haven’t used them very much this winter because I live in a snow-ridden climate, but I’m working on my spring wardrobe, so I brought them out for a clean (see below for the results).

I’ll give you a quick overview of the shoe (style, sizing), then walk you through the pros and cons, and I’ll end with how I keep them clean. Bottom line, if you’re looking to add the Gucci Ace Sneakers to your wardrobe, just do it!

Style:

There are a few different styles of this shoe, and Gucci comes out with new styles each year. I have the blue and red versions without the bee. I’m scared of bees, and I just can’t bring myself to buy any of the Gucci bee designs.

If you’re looking for something a little more adventurous, you can go with the bee, supreme, pearl, star, loved, or even strawberry version. So many options!

Sizing:

I bought a size 38. For reference, I wear a size 39 in Gucci Loafers, 38.5 in Prada pumps, and a 39.5 in Jimmy Choo and Manolo Blahnik. In US brands, I am a pretty standard 8 1/2, including Sam Edelman and Vince Camuto. So, that’s all to say, I think they run a little large, maybe even a full size large. It likely depends on the shape of your foot. Now, for the life of me, I cannot figure out what “shape” my feet are. Sometimes I feel like they are wide, but sometimes I feel like they are long. Whatever. I think they are on the wider side, which is why the Gucci Ace Sneakers run large for me–they are a pretty wide sneaker, so there’s plenty of room for my foot.

Pros:

– They are comfortable. I can wear them all day, and I’m never in pain. There is a cushy footbed, and the profile of the ankle opening is low enough that it doesn’t rub on your ankle. And like I mentioned above, they are wide, so there is plenty of room for your instep. I wear mine with my trusty Smartwool no-show socks.

– They are easy to style. There really is nothing easier to style than a pair of white sneakers. I went with the red and blue because they’re pretty neutral and go with a lot of different colors.

– They are easy to clean. I have a whole section on this below, but I definitely had to include it as a pro.

– They are durable. So far, the wear has been minimal. There is some creasing where I bend for my toes, but that is to be expected on a leather shoe. The leather seems to be holding up nicely, especially at the front of the toe box, which is always the first place I normally see wear and tear on my shoes.

Cons:

– The laces: These are my least favorite part of the shoes. Not only did they not include an extra pair, but I couldn’t get the laces totally clean. I could probably get them close to perfect with a little more elbow grease, but I might just buy a new pair of white laces at this point.

– The “snake” pattern on the back of the shoe can show some wear. It’s hard to see in the pictures, but my shoes have the snake-skin style leather on the heel. I’ve noticed that a few of the small pieces are starting to lift up. I’m not too worried, and if it ever started to bug me, I think I could actually just do some minimal shoe TLC.

How To Clean Gucci Ace Sneakers:

I was initially scared of owning white sneakers, but these are very easy to keep clean. Here’s a brief overview of what I do.

– Day to day: I use baby wipes to clean them off after each wear. They easily wipe off the dirt that can appear after wearing them all day.

– Deep clean: I just did my first deep clean of my Gucci Ace Sneakers, and I think it went really well. I took them out for spring, and I realized that they could use a good clean. Here’s what I did:

First, I took out the laces and soaked them in warm water with laundry detergent.

Second, I used an eraser–yes, an eraser–on the soles and the leather. This was amazing. I just used it like you would erase pencil from paper. It easily scrubbed off all the grime from wearing them over the last year:

Third, there were some stains that the eraser couldn’t get off. If you look in the before picture side view, you can see a black smudge. When the eraser didn’t work, I dipped a white cloth in the soapy water my laces were soaking in, rubbed it on the stain, and it came right off.

Fourth, I scrubbed the laces between my hands once they were all soaked, I rinsed them with cold water, and I laid them out to dry.

Fifth, I put the laces back in, and here’s what the shoes looked after I put them all back together:

I’m pretty impressed, if I do say so myself. I’ve probably worn these shoes 75 times, and they look close to new. Yay!

Conclusion:

If you feel like spending the money, these are a great sneaker option. Your cost-per-wear should be really good, and given that they clean up easily, you should be able to use them for years to come.

Happy shopping!

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