The thing nobody mentions in the shop is what the leather does after about six weeks, not the first six days. Mine softened at the crease where my foot bends, properly moulded to it, and stopped looking like a trainer that was trying too hard. That's the point you find out if you bought well or just bought white.
If you've got none, start plain. White or off white leather, minimal stitching, a sole that isn't trying to be a trainer for running anywhere. That one pair will sit under trousers on a Tuesday and jeans on a Saturday without either outfit noticing it's the same shoe. Get the fancier colourway later, once you know how often you actually reach for them. For sizing, go true to your normal size rather than your usual trainer instinct to size up, leather doesn't give the way mesh does, it holds its shape, so a pair that's slightly loose on day one stays slightly loose. Watch the heel especially. If it slips when you walk out of the shop, it will still be slipping in March. A stiff seam across the toe is the other thing to check for, because leather that creases oddly there will rub before it ever softens.
On colour, off white is kinder than true white, it shows the inevitable scuff less and doesn't scream for a wipe down after one wet pavement. Tan and a mid brown both go further than you'd think, they do jeans, they do a midi skirt, they even sit fine under a work trouser if your office has gone properly casual on a Friday. Black leather trainers are the one I'd be careful with, they can tip into looking like safety shoes if the sole's too chunky, so check the shape before the shade. Any of these cope with a dry autumn day far better than a wet one, leather and standing water are not friends, and salt stains from a wet winter pavement are a genuine nuisance to shift.
Where they actually earn the space in the hallway is pairing. A plain white tee and straight leg jeans, obviously, but also a shirt dress that was starting to feel too neat, or a blazer and tailored trousers combination that needed knocking down a notch so it didn't look like you were heading into a disciplinary. They do the heavy lifting of making a slightly too polished outfit look like you got dressed without overthinking it, even when you absolutely did.
Worn in properly, they'll make the rest of your ordinary weekday clothes look like you planned them, not just reached for them in a hurry.
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