Jeremy Allen White’s Cortez Obsession Is Kind of the Whole Point
A closer look at fashion, identity, and the sneaker Jeremy Allen White won’t stop wearing.
Jeremy Allen White has multiple awards, a cult following, and the kind of face that looks like it was once carved into marble. But despite the fame, the kitchen chaos, and the Calvin Klein campaigns, one thing hasn’t changed: he’s still wearing the white-on-white Nike Cortez sneakers, somehow always perfectly broken in.
The Cortez isn’t just a shoe for Jeremy anymore, it’s part of the myth. A normcore relic. A character actor’s uniform. A Los Angeles staple that’s been on his feet at everything from Sunday Farmers Market runs to travelling across our screens as Carmy Berzatto in The Bear. It’s a small detail, but it gives him away, in the best way. It suggests consistency. Familiarity. A refusal to over-style. In a fashion landscape where men are either going full peacock or falling flat, Jeremy is quietly building his look around a shoe that’s been cool, uncool, and cool again about five times over, and will continue to do so.
Originally released in 1972 as the company's first track shoe, the Nike Cortez was designed by field coach and co-founder Bill Bowerman and was first popularised by athletes before becoming an LA streetwear icon. Since its official debut at the 1972 Summer Olympics, it’s been worn by everyone from Forrest Gump to Alexa Chung — and Jeremy Allen White. But unlike other celebrities who treat sneakers as statement pieces or currency for clout, Jeremy’s Cortez feels lived-in. Personal. Reworn, not just re-styled.
There’s something very intentional in how unintentional it all seems. His outfits often feel like he’s just thrown something on. A slightly beat-up white t-shirt, sweatpants or jeans more relaxed than any character on his filmography, hair that looks slept in (and probably was), and those Cortez, often accompanied by the Mets ‘47 strapback hanging on by a thread. It’s not trying too hard, and that’s the point. His style, like his acting, leans into emotional texture. Bruised but boyish. Masculine in a way that’s a little soft around the edges. The Cortez completes the picture.
In a fashion cycle where some men are leaning into statement dressing, like Jacob Elordi with his iconic Bottega bags and oversized tailoring, and others, like Luke Newton, are still finding their off-screen aesthetic footing, Jeremy Allen White stands out by staying the same. There’s no sudden reinvention, no post-press-tour polish. Just those worn-in white-on-white Cortez, grounding him like a signature scent.
It’s fashion with memory. He doesn’t need a new look every season because the repetition becomes part of the narrative. You start to notice the shoe not just as a style choice, but as a character in itself, something that moves through roles, relationships, and eras alongside him. It’s the sneaker equivalent of a perfectly broken-in leather jacket or a hoodie that smells like someone you used to love. Familiar. Worn. Loved.
Anyone familiar with Jeremy, is familiar with the white-on-white Cortez. It is such an integral part of his character customisation that simply googling the shoes will pull up countless paparazzi shots of Jeremy on the streets of LA and New York. No matter the current trend cycles, one thing is certain: junked or not, the timeless running shoes will remain a popular choice in Jeremy’s wardrobe.
Wittingly or unwittingly, Jeremy Allen White has made the Nike Cortez into something more than footwear. It’s an anchor. A moodboard. A vibe.
And for a generation obsessed with documenting transformation, there’s something quietly powerful about staying the same.
