How to Wear Sneakers with a Suit

The shirt may be cut slimmer or looser, the suit might be darker or lighter, the sneakers might not have laces, but you’re still talking about shirts and suits and sneakers

– John Varvatos –

I get this a lot, “Suits are formal wears and shouldn’t in any way be paired with casual footwear such as sneakers”. Yeah, yeah, I somewhat agree, but to add a little twist to it, I would respond to that…with a question…okay?

Are you aware that suits can be combined and worn in such as a manner that you’ll eventually end up with a smart casual look perfect for a non-formal occasion?

Now, if you still don’t think so, I’ll suggest you kindly read through this short article [with an open mind] and let’s attempt to answer the question again later.

Fair enough? Alright… Great!

Now, one more question but don’t worry, it’s purely rhetorical. See it below …

Can you pair tailored suits and sneakers together?

Yes, you can wear casual sneakers with your tailored suit…but please note there are a few things to consider before trying this out, these include the Type of Sneakers, the colour and type of Suit, the Fit (most especially the pant length) and The Occasion.

Let’s now look at these elements one after another as we establish some ground rules:

1. The Fit

Before you even think of wearing suits and sneakers, ensure your suit is tailored to perfection. With that said, an off-the-rack suit won’t be suitable in this case.

For the jacket:  ensure they are fitted to your body with no loose sides.
For the pants: go for slim cut pants as against the loose or baggy cut. Also, avoid the Deep Break, Half-Break or Quarter Break/Slight Break, you should be looking for pants with No break.

2. The Suit

As already mentioned above – Go for a tailored suit and avoid off-the-rack suit when trying to go for the sneakers-suit combination. Avoid formally structured suit, you don’t want it to seem as if you forgot your Oxford shoes at home. With a well-tailored suit, you will look trendy.

For the type of suit: You could go for a single breasted or double breasted suit. But you should avoid wearing it with a pinstripe suit.

In terms of color – as much as possible avoid the entirely dark formal color such as black, instead go for colors with light tones/shades such as beige, gray (both dark and light), blue, burgundy, various shades of navy etc. But still don’t forget point number four (4) below.

3. The Sneakers

When it comes to pairing suits and sneakers, and nailing the look, a number of rules have to be observed. One of the fundamental rules is “NEVER DISRESPECT THE SUIT”.

Not all types of sneakers are appropriate for your suit. Although you find some people that try to pull off this look with colorful sneakers, it doesn’t always go too well.

The key here is to keep it classy by rocking white sneakers with white laces, they are the most suit-friendly sneakers.

Some other examples of classic kicks you can pair with your suit look include Adidas Stan Smith, Converse All Stars etc. Here are a few casual footwear options to wear with your suit

4. The Occasion – When To Wear Suits and Sneakers

Keep in mind the appropriate dress code and event, when incorporating sneakers into your suit look. You can rock the sneaker-suit combination to semi-formal occasions, occasions that require smart casual look, fashion week or to bars after work.

If you’re going to a wedding, job interview, or funeral it might not be so appropriate to adopt this look. If you also work in establishments that allow you to dress down every day of the week, you could adopt this look for situations whereby you have serious meetings as against going for a downright casual look.

You should, however, avoid this if you work in a strict corporate environment, for instance, if you are a banker or a lawyer, this look isn’t for your office environment.

RELATED CONTENT: 5 TIPS ON HOW TO LOOK BETTER IN A SUIT

FINAL THOUGHTS

There you have it – 4 Tips on Wearing Sneakers With A Suit. Now go on and try them out, yeah I know it’s very risky but I believe you will look effortlessly suave rocking it!

With that said, I’ll ask my question again

Are your aware that suits can be combined and worn in such a way that you’ll eventually end up with a smart casual look perfect for a non-formal occasion?

I bet you already know the answer by now. YES! 🙂

If you think NO still, then check out our Dress Code Law – The Kobi Koachman Rules for Dressing Up and Dressing Down.

Thanks so much for stopping by. I’m sure you’ve been entertained as well as enlightened by this brief article. Don’t be a stranger…watch out for our next article soon. SUBSCRIBE HERE so you will get regular style articles from MR KOACHMAN delivered to your mailbox each week.

PS.  If you liked this article, please share with your friends and whomever you think would find it useful by clicking on any of the Social media share buttons at the end of this article, below this page. Muchos gracias!

Until then, continue to do well, live well and dress very well. Be Classy!

Yours in Style,

Kobi O. Mbagwu (Mr. Kobi)
Founder, MrKoachman.com

READ NEXT: The 10 Best Sneakers To Wear With Your Suit
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Mr. Kobi

My name is Kobi O. Mbagwu, a professional image consultant, menswear style expert, and entrepreneur who uses fashion, style and clothing as key tools in transforming ordinary men into extraordinary classy gentlemen. My personal goal is to help gentlemen dress better, live well, do well and develop a unique personal style that matches their lifestyle and goals. I believe that success can be built through style. I believe that fashion is a tool that can be used to change people’s lives positively. I also strongly believe that if you dress well, you look good, and if you look good, you feel good and when you feel good, you worry less, and the less you worry the more you are able to stay motivated and focused on your goals pursuit and by so doing you are able to live a more fulfilling and successful life.

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