(Just made this guide for fun because I like sneakers, hope you find it useful! I recommend reading with Reddit Enhancement Suite...)
If you’re a frequent visitor of /r/malefashionadvice (MFA), you’re probably going to have the following shoes imprinted into your brain: Common Projects (CPs), adidas Stan Smiths, Nike Killshots and Clarks Desert Boots (CDBs, these obviously aren’t sneakers). But, there are so many sneakers that are versatile and not just the same old that everyone is wearing! I’ve included them because they’re very easy to combine, but I put in a lot more alternatives you could put on your feet instead.
The most versatile shoe?
You can probably wear sneakers with most casual outfits if they have most of the following characteristics:
• Low-top. They’re easier to combine than high-tops (in my opinion) and fit well with both shorts and longer trousers. High-tops may not interact well with your trousers (bunching up in not-so-nice ways, the top being just too wide for your trousers to fall over, etc.) and your proportions (both your body and stylistic proportions).
• Minimal stitching and paneling. Shoes that have a lot of stitching, extra panels or padding (Vans Half-Cab) for example are very busy visually - there’s just so much going on in them! If you have a cleaner shoe, it will fit a wider range of outfits and styles.
• Versatile colour. All-white or black / grey with white sole will generally go with most outfits. Navy and tan are also options, but navy might not go well with dark denim (light blue sneakers might be better) and tan doesn't go well with khakis/tan chinos. If you have colourful sneakers, it’s nice to have an outfit that is more toned down to highlight the shoes (Nike Flyknit Racer). Don’t always try to match the colours in the rest of your outfit with your shoes, use complementary colours instead. Yes, that link goes to a quilting site because I like the chart at the top.
• Brand with simpler / sleek logo. There are brands that just have a very busy logo (Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66) that might detract from your look. Sometimes this doesn’t really matter if the logo complements/blends in with the colourway (Asics Gel Lyte III) or if it fits your outfit!
Short list intro
The following is a list of sneakers that I think go well with most casual outfits, but this is also adjusted to my taste. I’m not someone who’s gonna tell you you have to buy specific shoes. The shoes are sorted slightly arbitrarily according to looks. No high-tops included because I'm not really into them anymore.
The budgets are relative per category, retro runner shoes tend to be cheaper than tennis shoes of a similar quality in my experience for example. The listed models are just suggestions but there are a lot more brands and models out there. It's supposed to have something for everyone's budget.
I added example outfits from MFA people with various styles just for some inspiration! All outfit pics show one of the shoes mentioned in the categories or link to the original post with more info. :)
Other nice reads
Sneakers list
One: The tennis shoe (pictured: CLAE Bradley)
This is, at the time of writing, likely the most popular kind of sneaker you’ll see on the streets. They have a minimal and sleek design that goes with basically all outfits, and they are usually all-white (though there are more black and pastel options now too). I'd say that this category is the most versatile of all sneakers because they're so clean and they don't necessarily give your outfit a particularly 'sporty' vibe like training sneakers and runners would, in my opinion.
$: Nike Tennis Classic, adidas Stan Smith, Gola Vantage, CLAE Bradley, Kent Wang sneaker
$$: Axel Arigato, Greats Royale, Epaulet Tennis Trainer, ETQ Low 1, Zespa ZSP4
$$$: Common Projects, YSL Court Classic, Diemme Veneto, Buttero Tanino Low, wings + horns Classic Low, Collegium Pillar Low
Outfit examples:
Two: The general training sneaker (pictured: adidas Samba)
The most generic category name ever. A lot of the sneakers I’m going to list here started as training shoes for working out, basketball, track and football. Some are visually kind of similar to tennis shoes but have a different sole and shape and, to me, have a more athletic/sporty feel. They're still low-profile and sleek.
Also included in this category are indoor football/soccer-style shoes (like the Sambas) because there aren’t enough models suitable for casual wear that I know of to fill up their own category.
$: adidas Samba, adidas Samba ADV, adidas Campus, German Army Trainer (GAT), PUMA Suede, PUMA Liga
$$: Nike Blazer Low, adidas Gazelle, adidas Busenitz, Reebok Club C 85 Indoor, New Balance 300, Nike SB Bruin
$$$: Maison Margiela 'Replica', Zespa ZSP4 RC
Outfit examples:
Three: The clean skate shoe (pictured: Vans Authentic)
There are probably people reading this and instantly thinking of this kind of shoe – a fat, padded and wide shoe. Nah. These are pretty simple sneakers with a clean upper, most with a vulcanized sole - and not all mentioned are necessarily skate shoes but they look similar. The Vans Authentic is probably one of the most well-known and versatile shoes in general (together with Converse All-Stars!). I think the vulcanized soles just look good ;) Similar style shoes are also called 'plimsolls' I guess.
$: Vans Authentic, Vans Era, Vans Old Skool, Vans 106, Vans LPE, Lakai Daly, Lakai MJ, HUF Cromer, Keds, Nike Dunk Low
$$: Supra Stacks, Nike Janoski, Superga, Etnies Jameson
$$$: Eytys Mother, Vans Vault releases, Diemme Iseo
Outfit examples:
Four: The sleek 'retro' runner (pictured: Nike Air Pegasus 83)
Many of the sneakers in these category were first made in the 80s and 90s, yet remain popular! Retro runners vary a lot in their looks (just compare the Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66 with its thin sole to... everything else), most are still commonly released in various colourways that fit many outfits and they may offer slightly more support than other sneakers thanks to their runner/performance roots. If you’re looking for actual running shoes, you’re better off looking at modern performance shoes.
One issue with the retro runners is that they’re often released in neon bright or contrasting colours on the different panels which makes them harder to combine. You might want to check if the brands offer customization/personalization so you can design your own.
$: New Balance 574, Saucony Shadow Original, Saucony Jazz, Reebok Classic Leather, New Balance 420, Onitsuka Tiger Mexico 66, Nike Cortez, Greats The Rosen
$$: Nike Pegasus 83, Nike Internationalist, Nike Air Odyssey, Nike Air Max 1, Asics Gel Lyte III, adidas Dragon, adidas ZX700, adidas Los Angeles, Brooks Vanguard, Reebok Royal Glide, New Balance 996, Karhu Albatross
$$$: Spalwart Marathon Trail Low, Spalwart Tempo, Victory Sportswear, wings + horns Suede Trainer, Maison Margiela Retro Runner
Outfit examples:
Five: The modern runner (pictured: adidas Ultra Boost x Highsnobiety)
These runners are some of the most popular type of sneakers now. Some are entirely new models, some are a kind of reimagining of retro models (compare this vintage LD-1000 to the new one). Most of them use a 'knit' material like Nike's Flyknit, adidas' Primeknit (PK), or a simpler kind of mesh like the one used on the immensely popular Roshe.
They have a very clear athletic vibe, but they go with most outfits (though they might give your outfit a more technical/sporty vibe). They are released in simpler colours, but also a lot of the hard-to-combine neon colours (adidas Ultraboost) because that's what shoe companies do with runners. While they go with a lot of outfits in terms of look, a lot of these have very airy materials which makes them less suitable in cold/rainy seasons or places.
There are more modern runners, but they tend to have more techy or less versatile but cool designs (like Y-3, adidas Tubular Runners etc.). I would have added the Nike Free Run+ 3.0 or 5.0 but it seems those aren't that easy to get anymore. This category is overall quite a bit more expensive than others, unfortunately, as some of these are also performance running shoes or just use expensive materials.
Note: just because a shoe has 'run' in its name, does not mean it is a good one for actual running! Make sure to buy proper performance shoes to ensure you do not injure yourself when running.
$: Nike Roshe LD-1000, Nike Roshe Run, Nike Free RN, adidas ZX Flux, adidas ZX Flux ADV, non-PK adidas NMD, adidas Energy Boost 3
$$: adidas Ultra Boost, adidas NMD, Nike Flyknit Racer, Nike Flyknit Trainer, Nike LunarEpic Low Flyknit, Nike Free RN Flyknit, adidas Iniki
Outfit examples:
Please don't wear 'sneakers' like these. Just no. (Why?)
There are more sneakers that I think are easy to combine but I didn’t have space or couldn’t fit them into a category, like the Nike Dunk High ($$) and similar Nike Air Jordan 1 (wow, high-tops!), Converse All-Stars II Low ($$), original Converse All-Stars Low ($) and the Filling Pieces Low Top ($$$).
There’s more stuff I like but I don't think those are versatile enough to go with a lot of outfits, like more techy sneakers and chunkier running shoes (like the older Nike Air Max, New Balance and Karhu)... and this guide is already super long.
That’s all, thanks for taking a look! Did you like this? Check out /r/sneakers/!
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