My first pair of mesh trainers were from a supermarket, bought for a holiday where I thought I'd be doing a lot of walking and didn't want trainers that smelled by day three. They taught me that mesh is only as good as what's underneath it, because by the end of that week I could see the shape of my toes through the side panel and the sole had gone soft in a way that wasn't comfort, it was just giving up.
If you've never owned a pair, start with something plain, a single colour or two at most, in a low profile shape rather than anything too chunky, because mesh already draws the eye and a busy shoe on top of busy mesh ends up looking like it's trying too hard. Before you buy, check what's actually mesh and what's just printed to look like it, you can usually tell by pressing the panel, proper mesh gives slightly and breathes, the fake stuff feels flat and plasticky under a finger. Look at how the mesh is attached to the sole and the eyelets too, cheap pairs often have it glued rather than stitched into a trim, and that's the seam that splits first, usually right at the point where your foot bends. The lining matters as much as the outer, a thin mesh over a scratchy synthetic lining will rub your ankle raw within a day, so if you can try them on, wear them round the shop properly, not just stand there admiring your feet.
Mesh trainers are a warm weather shoe through and through, they're not made for standing in a puddle at a bus stop in February. They're brilliant for long days on your feet in the heat, a festival, a city break, anything where your feet swell a bit and you need the air to actually move. They're also good for the gym or a walk that's more stroll than workout, since the structure in a lot of them is softer than a proper running shoe. Where the cheap ones let you down is distance and repetition, the kind of wear where a seam gets tested every single day, that's when the glued panels start to separate and the mesh stretches out of shape around the toe. A decent pair holds that shape for a full summer of wear, and the mesh stays taut rather than baggy, which is the difference between looking fresh and looking tired by August.
These suit anyone who's on their feet in the heat and wants their shoes to actually let their feet breathe rather than just look like they might.