The Best Sneakers to Wear with Suits

The keys to pulling off the suit + sneakers look:

1. The fit of the suit is everything, especially the trousers which should tapered with little-to-no break
2. The suit needs to be unstructured. Shoulder pads with sneakers will have you looking like Jerry Seinfeld.
3. The fabric should be textured and seasonal. This gives the suit an appropriate, leisurely, non-corporate vibe.
4. The right sneakers, or course. Think low-top, no-frills, classics.

We tapped downtown NYC legend, and former backcourt mate, Niko Scott to show us a few kicks that are designed to be well-suited. 

Lanvin Captoe Trainers

The quality of the sneaker goes a long way in keeping up with a good suit.

Vans Authentic Low

If you’re planning to sharpen-up a pair Vans, make it a pair in a unique fabric that is slightly more luxe than the traditional cotton canvas – like these genuine suede versions, for example.

Common Projects Achilles

Readers often ask if Common Projects are worth the $400 price tag. As anyone who has owned a pair will tell you, yes, they are. There’s something about the leather and construction of these – they last incredibly well and actually build a patina over time, similar to pair of benchmade lace-ups.

This pair is more than four years old and have been worn through the worst of NYC winters. The “serial number” is completely rubbed off, but they are still kicking – a fresh shine would probably go a long way as well.

Adidas Stan Smiths

If the $400 price tag is too steep, you really can’t go wrong with low-top classics in all white, like Stan Smiths.

Scoring a rare release (like these “whole-cut unstructured” versions) will elevate the selection for the sneaker connoisseurs, too.

 

Thank you for reading.

Credit: Dan & Niko