If it’s true that a man’s outfit is assessed from his shoes up, then it’s their shade that first colors someone’s judgment. Mens footwear, like everything else in menswear, has grown less rigid recently – these days you can wear Oxfords with jeans and trainers with a suit. But the key to pulling either off is in color-matching; get the shade wrong and you can look like a car salesman on a night out, or like you’ve changed into your comfy shoes for your commute.
Helpfully, we’ve written them all down here so you never put a foot wrong.
Bold Trainers
The Rule: Pair With Simple, Statement-Free Clothing
Luxury, minimalist sneakers may be the shoes that convinced men to do the unthinkable (wear sports shoes with a suit) but right now, rumblings of a mutiny are afoot and big, bold trainers are on the march. Oversized soles, clashing colors, larger-than-life logos and – dare we say it – downright garish designs are having their day. There’s a new breed of trainer in town that DGAF about clean lines.
With all that attention seeking going on, you’ll need to tell the rest of your look to chill out a bit. The Guardian’s menswear editor, Helen Simons, says: “The trick to styling statement trainers is to play down the rest of your outfit. Think Balenciaga’s dad-core look – straight-fit jeans and a very regular-looking shirt or sweatshirt will do.
“You’ll need to stick to plain colors and avoid big logos and prints, or you risk an outfit that becomes too flaunt.” Easy does it guys, easy does it.
Retro Trainers
The Rule: Wear With Modern Pieces
In an age of global uncertainty and bizarre daily political developments, is it any surprise that we’re getting all misty eyed and nostalgic for times gone by? Retro trainers are the footwear equivalent of battening down the hatches, sticking on some Britpop and mentally blocking out the utter chaos of the 21st century.
Throwback trainers aren’t an excuse to crack out a highly flammable pastel tracksuit though. They should nod to the past but be firmly planted in the present. “Reinventing retro trainers can be difficult,” says George Nicholson, deputy editor at The Idle Man. “Cropped trousers, however, are perfect for giving your shoes a new look. Team with an overcoat and a simple T-shirt [or sweatshirt] and you’ve got a contemporary spin.”
Another style switch up you can make is to pair them with luxurious wool trousers for an eye-catching high-low combination.
Slip-On
The Rule: Wear With Classic, Well-Cut Clothing
Trainers on their own are already conducive to happy feet, but take away the lace and you’ve got a genuine feat of human ingenuity. Until fairly recently, only skaters ‘got it’, but now slip-ons are for anyone in favorite of kicking their shoes off: i.e. everyone.
It’s not the noughties though, and (presumably) you’re not desperately hoping that Avril Lavigne will notice you, so steer clear of anything that’s textbook ‘Sk8er Boi’. “The classic Vans silhouette was everywhere this season, but the style went high-end: Tom Ford, Common Projects and Givenchy are just a few of the brands [which produced their own take],” says Paul Higgins, brand stylist for Reiss.
“[Try teaming] this classic shoe shape with navy linen separates or a seersucker suit.” The takeaway? You’re looking to achieve suave slip-on style here, not scuffed-up stoner chic, so think tailored lines and muted colors.
Terrace Trainers
The Rule: Wear With Smart-Casual Pieces
America, you can keep your basketball high-tops because quite frankly, when it comes to true sports footwear icons, the terrace trainer (popular on England’s football terraces) is untouchable. Okay, we may be – slightly – biased but there’s a reason that the terrace trainer’s gum soles have been pounding the pavement for decades; they’re truly classic kicks.
As such a ubiquitous shoe, however, there’s every danger of being mistaken for a rain-sodden teenager chilling at the shopping centre on Saturday. “Terrace trainers provide an instant way to add a dash of vintage to a outfit,” says Phill Tarling, a menswear stylist who has worked with the likes of Tom Hardy and John Hurt. “When it comes to styling, try getting smart.”
That means swerving the joggers and keeping it classy by teaming with heritage pieces like wool trousers, macs and overcoats, or contemporary staples like cropped trousers and chambray shirts. Leave the football scarf at home, too.
Minimal Trainers
The Rule: Wear With Simple, Pared-Back Pieces
Cast your mind back 10 or so years, if you will. Minimal trainers weren’t a ‘thing’ and the closest you’d get to inconspicuous was a pair of Converse Chuck Taylors, which (though admittedly great) are pretty standard issue. Then came the minimal movement, when everything got a Scandinavian dose of good taste and designers began to rein in the crazy.
Minimal trainers are really, really, ridiculously good looking, so you’ll need to keep the surrounding pieces simple and the lines of your outfit sleek to do them justice. Think tailored separates, pared-back normcore or something a little more formal. “Styling a sharp suit with trainers is one of my favorite looks for the office,” says Simons.
“A pair of plain leather lace-ups from Common Projects or Eytys will look smart and modern, though the high street has lots of versions from as little as £25. The most important point is to keep them pristine by investing in some shoe wipes to restore the box-fresh look for every outing.” It’s not just the cut of your clothes that should be clean.
