The Rise of the Sneaker

A lot can be said about sneakers. Previously associated with a certain type - slackers, skateboarders and rockers - the humble sneaker has made a great comeback over the last few years. Sneakers have fought their way out of the gym and running tracks and found themselves in the boardroom and formal events. Their accessibility has even been stretched with people pairing athletic kicks and running shoes with jeans and chinos, a statement that for some is pushing the boundary too far. But style is nothing without experimentation, and it seems the sneaker is here to stay. With the wide variety of sneakers flooding the market, it can be difficult to make a decision about which kicks are worth buying. Coupled with this are the extreme ranges in price, brands and style; making it seem almost worth sticking with your reliable takkies and giving up on this whole style debacle. But simply by choosing a style that best suits your clothing; the takkies can be banished to where they came from, as you embrace the footwear trend and step out in style.

Black, grey or white are good places to start

If new to the sneaker game, black, grey or white sneakers are a good way to dip your toe into this trend. Black goes with everything, and can even pass as a more formal shoe. Grey falls somewhere between that - wear grey sneakers with black shoelaces for a slightly more bold statement. In white, a high-top is especially popular, and pairing white sneakers with bright socks, cuffed jeans and a shirt, tie and jacket, is the perfect way to pull of this look. If you're looking at brands in these colours, Nike and Adidas are a good bet, or for an old classic that has recently been revamped, try Chuck Tailor’s Converses. Just make sure to keep the sneakers clean.

A pop of colour for the bold

For those who are more experimental- and the time for experimenting and finding your style really is now - colourful sneakers add playfulness to an outfit. Maroon, red or blue are in with Nike and New Balance, as are sneakers with bold patterns. Keep the outfit subtle if you're wearing bold sneakers, to avoid looking like a clown. Unless Bozo is your thing. But don't be afraid to go for it. You can colour block, match your sneakers to your tie and your socks to your shirt if you'd like. Don't be too matchy-matchy (pulling your red sneakers with red socks, red shoelaces, a red tie, a red pocket square and a red lapel pin will definitely not lend any cred to your look) or you can look overdone.

But don’t you step on my (blue) suede shoes

Carl Perkins wrote about it, Elvis sang it, Puma made them into an icon; suede shoes are timeless. Sneakers in suede bring an extra dimension to an outfit, and paired with jeans, the outfit is laid-back cool. The thing with suede shoes is that they scuff, get dirty and need maintenance. Take it from us, scuffed suede looks cheap and dirty and will make you look the same. If you're going for it, go for it properly and keep those kicks in good nick. For incredible socks to match with your styling kicks, take a look at our range of bold bamboo and cotton socks. For sneaker style inspiration check out how Nick Wooster wears his kicks.