A Highsnobiety Guide to Pairing Your Sneakers With Your Shorts
If you’re still rocking pants in the current heat wave, we feel for you bro. But for those of you with the good sense to let the sweet relief of an occasional breeze hit your pins, are you doing all you can to avoid a summer style faux pas?
Pairing the cut of your shorts with the correct pair of sneakers is a must when it comes to your summer ’fits. There’s a time and a place for chunky silhouettes, high and low tops in the summer months, and getting it right can make or break any look. Fortunately, we’ve got your waist-down styling covered, no matter how much leg you’re choosing to share with the world.
Below, we’ve rounded up some of SS18’s most popular shorts trends — from the wide and long high fashion offerings to sportier, skimpier styles — and matched them to the most appropriate sneaker silhouettes, with options for every budget. “Aside from these,” cautions our product curator Nigel Minani “The only steadfast rule to live by is that patterned shorts should be worn with clean sneakers, and vice versa.”
Scroll through our full selection of shorts-friendly sneakers below and take note of Nigel’s styling tips for the perfect foot-to-thigh partnerships.
Wide & long shorts
Layered Track Shorts
Craig Green
Free Express Shipping On Orders Over $300
Free Express Shipping On Orders Over $300
Pair with chunky sneakers
High fashion should be met with yet more high fashion when it comes to wide and long styles, which are best paired with the chunky sneaker silhouettes that have been replicated by just about every major label.
That said, you don’t have to adhere to Gucci-sized pricetags to get your in on the trend. Nike’s M2K Tekno is a failsafe everyday pair that aren’t too heavy, while adidas by Raf Simons’ Replicant Ozweego will prime you for street style lookbook-qualifying ’fits. For something like the Craig Green shorts above, we’d highly recommend the bulk of the Balenciaga’s Triple S. The blue colorway was made for this look.
Short shorts
Pair with high tops
If you’re short of fabric on the thighs, go high with your shins — and wear socks! Short shorts tend to come in sporty styles like the woven Nike ACG pair above, so it’s best to stay true to this aesthetic with some court-ready high tops that will take away from the extra length on your legs.
The Air Jordan 3s are a classic for a casual, sporty vibe that won’t seem too overthought, while this colorway of the military-style Nike SF Air Force 1 is sure to turn heads, and the length of them goes that bit further up your leg. But for those of you happy to part with a few extra bucks, Balenciaga’s knitted high-top Speed sneakers have the wow factor.
Knee-length shorts
Bryan Short
Stüssy
Free Shipping On Orders Over $50
Free Shipping On Orders Over $50
Pair with low tops
When it comes to knee-length shorts, keep it slick and rock your low-tops with sneaker socks, not long ones, to avoid looking like a schoolboy. Perhaps the most versatile and popular shorts style, Stüssy’s pinstripe Bryan short above can be paired up or down for any summer occasion.
While the new Nike Air Max Deluxe sneakers will give your look some high-end but sporty appeal, Vans Vault’s OG Era LX in collaboration with WTAPS is a super affordable and versatile sneaker for everyday wear, dropping this weekend. To turn the look up for smarter occasions, the sleek silhouette and luxe materials of Maison Margiela’s Replica are a winning pair. We particularly like the color block versions for summer.
To stay updated on everything happening in the sneaker world, follow @Highsnobietysneakers on Instagram, check our sneaker release date calendar and subscribe to our sneaker chatbot on Facebook to receive lightning quick updates to your inbox.
Our designated shopping section features products that we love and want to share with you. Highsnobiety has affiliate marketing partnerships, which means we may receive a commission from your purchase.
- Curated by: Nigel Minani
