Sneaker Style

one of my favorite types of shoes to wear is sneakers. they’re comfortable, versatile, and keep my feet warm during the summer when every place is overly air conditioned. my sister was triflin’ the other week because she really wanted a pair of sneakers to wear on an upcoming trip to NYC but had no idea where to start. 

after talking her off a personal style crisis, which mostly entailed a lot of ‘but am i cool enough to wear sneakers?’ and ‘but can i pull them off?’, i gave her a bit of direction and left her to her own devices. she texted me later something about WHY DON’T YOU LIVE HERE ANYMORE SO YOU COULD HELP ME SHOP DURING CRISES and i responded with a few choice emojis, but that’s a story for another day. (actually, that is the story, so it doesn’t need to be told on another day.)

i realized that if her fragile little self could be so distraught and overwhelmed at the prospect of actually wearing sneakers somewhere other than the gym, that maybe other precious gals would be, too. i happen to think that anybody can wear sneakers and there’s very few ways to go terribly wrong with them as long as you match the style of the sneakers to the clothes you’re pairing them with. for example, i wouldn’t wear the nike sneakers in the ‘sporty’ section with the dress in the ‘girly’ section, unless i wanted to look like i was taking my lunch break from my corporate job that requires 5 inch heels that i don’t feel like traipsing around the city in. get it?

if you’re like my sister and a bit hesitant about whether or not you can pull them off (spoiler alert: you can!), start with a simple pair of short or jeans and a tee. if you’re feeling especially daring, add a pop with a statement necklace or a structured bag. rock on with your sneaker-wearing self! 

SPORTY

sneakers | J.Crew • shorts | Target • sweatshirt | H&M 

tee | J.Crew Factory • earrings | Anthropologie • watch | Kate Spade

GIRLY

sneakers | J.Crew • dress | J.Crew Factory • necklace | Forever 21 • sunnies | Urban Outfitters • tote | Forever 21

CASUAL

sneakers | Converse • boyfriend jeans | Gap • tank | H&M • satchel | Forever 21 • bracelet | Forever 21