Welcome back to the Gentleman's Gazette! Today, we will be discussing sneakers and
hybrid shoes and whether or not a gentleman should even be wearing them.
When you saw the title and clicked on the video, I'm sure some of you were
probably holding your breath, wondering where in the world I was going be going
with the topic of sneakers. Well, don't pass out! Stay with us, watch
the video, and you might learn a few things about sneakers and whether or not
you should introduce them into your wardrobe. Now first, let's figure out what
constitutes as a sneaker. Sneakers are often called a number of different
things, you may have heard them called trainers, runners, gym shoes, or even
tennis shoes. Now, sneakers typically refers to a type of shoe that's very
flexible with a rubber sole, some kind of a synthetic material with rubber or even
leather on the upper portion of the shoe. Depending on your location in the world,
you may have heard sneakers referred to some of the following different names.
Here in the US, for slang, sometimes, people might even call them kicks. Now,
across the planet and the Great Britain, you might hear them being called
trainers. In Canada, you might hear them called runners or
gutties. On the warm land of South Africa, you might hear them referred to as
takkies. In Nigeria, as canvas shoes and in Greece, sportex. Personally, I'm going to
definitely start adapting gutties and takkies. Now looking at the history of
sneakers, we see that back in the 18th century, people used to wear plimsolls.
These were shoes with a rubber sole that were not the greatest of design. They
actually couldn't even be differentiated between left or right. Plimsolls were
typically worn by students during their physical education courses. The term
"plimsoll" comes from the resemblance of the plimsoll line on a ship's hull.
Around 1892, we see that the US Rubber Company made a much more comfortable
option, with rubber soles and a canvas upper portion, these were Keds.
The very first basketball shoes were designed by Spalding in as early as
1907. In 1917, Henry Nelson McKinney, an
advertising agent was the very first person we see using the term sneakers.
The shoes grew in popularity gaining the name sneakers because they
were so quiet one couldn't hear you sneak up on them while you wore them. Now
we see in 1917 when Converse was working on a basketball shoe and then a redesign
in 1922. Chuck Taylor then asked the company to create something that offered
more flexibility and a little bit more support. They became known as Chuck
Taylor All-stars. Sneakers continued to grow in popularity and then went
international in 1924. Adolph Adi Dassler of Germany was one person who created
some shoes which he named after himself, Adidas. Adolph worked on his idea at his
mother's home in Bavaria. A fun little side fact, Adi's brother worked on and
created another shoe brand which is quite popular these days,
Puma. Now, sneakers were primarily used for sporting events up until the 1950s.
This is when we started to see a shift where people started to wear sneakers as
a more fashionable statement. We see James Dean wearing sneakers in the
movie Rebel without a cause. NBA legend, Michael Jordan, helped
skyrocket sneakers to new heights. He signed a contract to wear the most
popular sneaker ever created, the Nike Air Jordans. Over the years, brands have
continued to push the rules of fashion using different color combinations,
designs, and functions in their shoes. These days, we see sneakers being made
for virtually any kind of occasion, walking, skateboarding, running, many many
others. We also are seeing a greater amount of hybrid shoes being created. For
example, the Cole Haan dress shoe that happens to have a Nike rubber sole. Now
should a gentleman even be wearing sneakers? Well, as long as the shoes are
being worn at the correct time and in the correct place, it is acceptable to
occasionally wear sneakers. Now, an incorrect time to be wearing sneakers,
for example, trying to wear running shoes to a job interview or trying to wear
basketball shoes with a suit. A better way to use these shoes would be to wear
the correct sporting shoe when you are playing a particular sport. In a more
casual setting, you could also wear some low profile sneakers with shorts in
the summer or perhaps with a pair of chinos in the cooler months. Now should a
gentleman even be trying to wear hybrid shoes? Hybrid shoes tend to fall into the
category of trendy. Now, of course, you should feel comfortable going ahead and
occasionally trying this type of shoe if you would like but please note, it will
not stand the test of time as much as a classic shoe would. It will be a better
use of your money to buy a few pair of versatile sneakers which are going to
serve you in a multitude of different occasions. You might be wondering how
do we properly pair sneakers with casual attire? The one big thing you want to
watch out for is to ensure that the sneakers you're choosing to wear match
the style of clothing and the location of which you might be going. For example,
it will be best to make sure that you're not trying to take a multi mile hike
across the mountain top in your expensive leather sneakers. Instead, opt
for something that's going to be easy to clean, offers great comfort and great
support. So we all know that sneakers are going to work wonderfully for a casual
setting but what happens if you happen to be in a more professional setting,
could you also adapt sneaker wear? Now, this can get a little bit tricky. Does
your work environment allow you to be able to wear sneakers? And if so, what's
the dress code like in terms of what colors you can and can't wear? When
you are able to wear sneakers in the workplace, the one thing you want to make
sure of is that your sneakers are complementing both you and your outfit
but are not demanding all the attention. For example, opt for a sleek low-profile
design or have something that has a low top style with neutral colors as opposed
to a high-top shoe with a thick sole. Ultimately, the cleaner the design, the
better. Now, if you've ever been shoe shopping, especially in the sneaker
section, you know that there is a wide array of different price points in what
you can find sneakers. Now, are expensive sneakers acceptable in all situations?
The answer is no. The style and design will be what dictates a shoes' worthiness
to be worn in various settings. It's important to remember that a high price
point does not equate to a high variety of different options for outfits. Now,
some more moderately priced pointed and even high priced pointed unconventional
sneaker options include the following brands, we have Yeezys, Nike Air Jordans,
Y3, as well as the Ultra Boost by Adidas. Extremely well known brands that people
all over the world seem to like to shop from are as follows, we have Reebok, K.Swiss,
Adidas, New Balance, and many many others. How do you decide what brand
to wear and when to wear certain styles of sneakers? For example, are you looking for
a sneaker that's going to allow you to wear it for a multitude of different
occasions? Or are you looking for something that's going to allow you to run
track at your local gym? Knowing the occasion and what you plan
on wearing your sneakers will help you decide which ones you should be wearing.
We also see some different style options depending on people's personality, as
well as their age. Men in an age group of teens to early 20s
often have a lot of flexibility with what kind of shoes they
choose to wear. They might still be in school and they're probably not super
settled into their career choice yet. These men can choose from a wide
variety of sneaker options from the Nike SB or something more sleek and
professional, for example, a pair of leather sneakers from Oliver Cabell or
Greats the Royale. Depending on the individual style preferences, men in
their mid 20s into about age 35 might want to try something like a clean
classic pair from K-Swiss or something more low-profile and comfortable like a
pair of Vans for when you are out and about around town. Both of these brands,
for example, offer a great deal of support without charging excessive
amounts of money. Now, for men in their mid 30s into mid 40s, a great shoe
option that offers a lot of comfortability would be a sneaker from Saucony.
For a more upscale approach to your overall outfit, try wearing a leather
sneaker option from a place like Hugo Boss. Now, for men who are in the 45 and
older crowd, let's say you're going out for a good workout, try a pair of Nike
trainers that are well structured and offer a great deal of support when
you're at the gym. For someone who likes to lift, go ahead and try the
Converse Chuck Taylor as the flat bottom helps keep you extremely structured and
flat to the ground. If you enjoy a lengthy run, go ahead and try Asics. These
are just suggestions, please note that any age group should feel comfortable
trying any of these styles. So just to recap, sneakers have been
around for quite some time and ever since they've arrived, we've seen that a
wide array of different styles and functions grow. Ultimately, it is
appropriate for our gentlemen to wear sneakers, it's just important to remember
when and where you choose to wear them. Age, physical needs, and style preferences
will guide you on what type of sneakers you should be wearing. Now it's best to
always keep it classic and timeless when selecting various sneaker styles in your
wardrobe. Once you've got the foundation down for your sneaker options in your
wardrobe then you can start to add a little bit of an oddball color or two
into the mix and remember that in a formal setting, a classic dress shoe is
always going to serve you better than a sneaker would. today I'm wearing a single
breasted bright blue peak lapel of suit jacket I have on a crisp white dress
shirt and I have this wonderful tan colored linen pocket square from Fort
Belvedere the pocket square pairs wonderfully
since the pant I chose to wear which have kind of a nice cream color to them
as well and finishing off the look with a navy blue leather pair of sneakers
from an Italian brand called Velasca the cream pants offer a nice way to break up
the two different shades of blue between the shoes and my jacket while still
remaining in the smart casual category because the Italian sneakers happen to
be a neutral color of Navy and also leather they work on a variety of
different outfits including this one