How to Dress up Sneakers: 2017 Men’s Fall Fashion

Lately, I have received a lot of questions from my clients regarding sneakers that can be dressed up and dressed down.    I too have succumbed to Los Angeles’s casual style and have incorporated sneakers into my wardrobe more than I ever believed I would.  Now, I am a total sucker for the style and love a dressed down look.  Whether you are looking to pair your shoes with a suit, chinos, jeans, whatever, there are a few things you want to keep in mind.

Sneaker Rules to follow:

1. They should be neutral in color.  Stick to White, Nude, Navy or Black
2. They should be leather or suede.  Do not buy canvas sneakers!  They will get destroyed by your environment, no matter how careful you are, and they are a total pain in the ass to clean.  Leather can be cleaned easily, even if they are white (watch my video on “How to Clean White Sneakers” if you are clueless).  Suede can also be cleaned easily and protected by sprays, etc.  Also, canvas shoes look CHEAP.
3. Try to avoid logos, excessive branding, etc.  Obviously, almost all brands have their logos and branding on their sneakers, but that should not be the first thing you notice.  Same rules apply for luxury brands as well.

Style Rules to Follow:

If you want to dress your sneakers up but find the style daunting, I swear it’s not!  When you have a nice, neutral, clean cut pair of sneakers (with no extra bling, buttons, snaps, etc.) the style is pretty much effortless.

You simply need to make sure that you are pairing the look with:

1. TAILORED PANTS
2. Said tailored pants should not have a break
3. If your pants are not shorter and you don’t have time to get them tailored or tapered, you can roll them up.  Make sure the roll is not more than an inch wide.

**If you are wondering WTF a break is, it’s the crease in the bottom of your pants by your ankle or top of shoe caused by extra fabric.  Typically dress pants should have a have a single break or crease. If you are wearing your sneakers with dress pants, there should be no break in your pants;   your pants should hit right at your ankle or even shorter.  (See images below)

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I wanted to show you guys some of my favorite sneakers that would look great with any outfit, dressed up or dressed down. I included save and splurge options in four colors and easily enough, you can shop the links below!!

BLACK SNEAKERS

Lacoste | Saint Laurent

NAVY SNEAKERS

Adidas | Lanvin

NUDE SNEAKERS

Nike | Common Projects

WHITE SNEAKERS

Jack Purcell | Common Projects

For more sneaker questions or styling help, leave a comment below or email me!

Xx  Miss Zias

Images borrowed from The Unstitched, Royal Fashionist, Just the Design, Menswear Style, Lookbook