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![person wears sneakers with blue denim; they are standing in front of a brick wall](https://corporette.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/how-to-choose-which-sneakers-to-wear.jpg)
Here's a fun little question for today: how many sneakers do you currently own, and how do you choose which ones to wear with which outfits? In general: how do you wear your sneakers in 2024?
More questions: if you've spent money on designer sneakers, whether Loewe, Balenciaga, Chloe, Golden Goose, etc, what was your thought process? Is there a pair of sneakers that you've been considering forever but feels a bit too pricy? If you've bought multiples of the same sneakers over the years (like me with Converse), which shoe is it? Do you prefer different sneakers for different athletic activities, like running vs. strength training?
(Side question: what do you CALL them? Tennis shoes? Sneakers? Athletic shoes? Sneaks? This can be a regional thing, I think…)
We've rounded up the best sneakers for work outfits, as well as discussed what your weekend sneakers say about you.
How I Wear My Sneakers in 2024
I have a bunch of sneakers right now — I leaned into them after realizing that I was consistently wearing them more than flats, boots, or heels. Some of the ones in my collection, and how I wear them:
Black Converse. I just bought a new pair after having a gray pair for a thousand years; I still can't decide if I want to swap out the white laces for ivory ones to make them less… stark. I like to wear these with bootcut jeans. I've had Chucks for decades at this point, and like I wrote about when we discussed weekend sneakers, I feel like they are very much shoes that show my personality. (WHAT it's saying about my personality I'm not quite sure, but I definitely feel a sisterhood when I see other women wearing them — we're sarcastic? We like stand-up comedy? We have a lil' rebel inside? Hmmn. I considered long and hard splurging for the Comme des Garçons PLAY x Converse with my most recent purchase, but ultimately decided against it.)
Black Adidas. I'm going to have to check my order history — they might be a version of Gazelles with mesh? They're mostly black shoes with white soles and a bit of mesh on the upper. Despite the fact that the shoes have a very similar profile to my Chucks, I do wear them differently — I find myself wearing the Adidas more with “current outfits,” and Converse with more classic ones. Anything that feels trendy to me will probably get Adidas or…
White Cole Haan Grand Pro Topspin platforms. I got these white and blue versions after hearing readers sing their praises — they're very comfortable and feel on trend. I'm hoping to keep them pristine white. I find myself pulling these on with wide-legged, casual styles (like my Spanx Air pants), and will probably try them with some of the cropped flares I bought in the NAS. I don't like the skirt-with-sneakers look for myself, but if I were to do it, these or the Adidas would probably be the shoes that I'd wear.
Blue Asics GT-2000. I've had a version of this shoe for decades at this point. A few years ago, I went to a sneaker store to be fitted and assessed for a sneaker and was supremely amused to walk away with the recommended item: a new pair of GT-2000s. I wear them with workout clothes, which means that during the school year especially (when I throw on workout clothes to get the kids out the door), this is most likely what I'm wearing.
Purple Kiziks (Athens). These are super comfortable, and I love that I can step into them. If we were traveling somewhere and I wanted an alternative to my Asics, I would probably bring these. If I were to get a new pair of Kiziks I'd get one of the more athletic-looking ones with the swoops on the side; I love these for comfort but sometimes they feel a bit off trend, at least for me personally.
White and green Tretorns (Rawlins). I got these on sale in the past year or two, and like them for comfort — their low profile makes them sort of interchangeable with the black Adidas. Now that I have the Cole Haans I find that I'm wearing these less, even though the Cole Haans have significantly more of a sole than the Tretorns so they're taller.
Ranked for for comfort: Chucks (with insoles), Asics, Kiziks, Cole Haan, Tretorn, Adidas.
Ranked for style: Cole Haan, Adidas, Chucks, Tretorn, Kiziks, Asics.
How about you, readers — how many sneakers do you currently own, and how do you choose which ones to wear with which outfits?
Stock photo via Stencil.
Pep
I have a bunch of sneakers, but honestly I don’t wear them much. They just don’t look good on me. That said, the ones I wear most are my Hokas (for fitness walking) and my Vejas (for those rare occasions I wear sneakers with a casual outfit).
A recent sneaker fail: Superga – I got sucked into buying a pair of these thanks to Kate Middleton. They are heavy and uncomfortable.
Jamie
Thoughtful post. I liked seeing the shoes you’ve picked and hearing how you style them. As someone who has physical issues and cannot wear more than 1.5 inch tall heel or wedge, I frequently wear tennis shoes. (That is the term I use–in SEUS). I have worked several years in healthcare and therefore accumulated multiple pairs of tennis shoes–my favorite brand is Brooks but I also have Dansko, Asics, Ecco, and Monotrail (guestimating I have about 7-9 pairs). I either match/blend the color to my trousers or to my shirt to make it look more intentional. When I had a uniform I picked tennis shoes which would have the required uniform color in them to make it look intentional. I also would sometimes rotate to other, more fashionable options by Ecco and Dansko as slip-ons to give myself a change.
I struggle now with trying to change careers to higher education/office environments as I don’t think my current shoe colors will look good–neon blue, bright purple, turquoise. I have in the past tried New Balance but am not able to wear them long due to several physical conditions with my feet/back. I need a non-narrow arch area but not wide. The thicker sole/physical configuration of Brooks’ Adrenaline shoes are best for me (only up to model years 2019–after that they changed the sole and narrowed it at the arch and I they are not as comfortable for me for all day wear). I have tried Superga and they don’t give me enough flexibility in the soles while Sketchers many iterations are frequently too flexible.
I don’t have a Nordstrom close to me, so do you all have ideas about where to shop in person for good-quality, more office-friendly shoes? Budget is about $200 per pair–less if possible. (I am not at all a fan of white/light colored soles as I do not wear white in my clothing and think such shoes are too casual). I mostly wear flared/wider legged pants (polyester, some khaki/twill, blue jeans) year-round. Rarely do I wear skinny leg; do not wear ankle length/cropped, especially with tennis shoes as I think it makes my already larger/longer foot stand out.
Anonymous
Zappos has a 365-day return policy; Nordstrom has an open-ended return policy. Very easy. Is there a Dillards near you? I might try there. In person I’d try shoes from Born, Soft, Cole Haan, Naturalizer… you might also try to find Bzees or AllBirds. I’d probably just switch to plain black sneakers right away.
Jamie
Thank you for your suggestions of places to shop. Although I have shopped at Nordstrom and Zappos before, I was leery about ordering and needing them to send shoes back. Appreciate the clarity on their return options as well as the brands to try!