How to Wear High-Tops
1/11the High Life
The extra material in a high-top gives designers a bigger canvas for wild-ass patterns and prints.
Clockwise from top left:
$200, Vault by Vans
$245, Coach 1941
$795, Givenchy by Riccardo Tisci
$595, Pierre Hardy
$695, Saint Laurent by Hedi Slimane
2/11$230, Axel Arigato
3/11Ankles Away!
If you want to be absolutely sure your jeans are the right length for high-tops, grab a pair of scissors and chop ’em an inch above your sneaks.
$160, Kenneth Cole
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Jeans, J.Lindeberg
4/11Ankles Away!
Leave your saggy, baggy sweats at home—they'll just cover your shoes.
$120, Vault by Vans
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Pants, John Elliott
5/11Ankles Away!
A nice thick cuff keeps dirt off your pant hems. Even better: It lets you flaunt your pre-distressed, hard-to-find European grails.
$595, Golden Goose Deluxe Brand
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Pants, Dsquared2
6/11Ankles Away!
When you're wearing high-tops, go for pants that are extra tapered at the ankle. Zippers are optional but encouraged.
$150, NikeLab
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Pants, Guess
7/11The Six High-Tops You Meet in Heaven
Each of these babies represents a micro-category in the high-top universe. Learn them all. Then pick one—or buy the whole pack.
The Side-Zip
You know how the coolest hoodies on earth are the ones with zips down the sides? Well, that's true of sneakers now, too.
$795, Giuseppe Zanotti DesignThe Suede Stunner
Chelsea boots, brogues, and now high-tops—is there any shoe that isn't made extra dope with some baby-soft suede?
$298, Koio CollectiveThe New Old Faithful
Every cool guy from Dee Dee Ramone to Wiz Khalifa has rocked classic Chucks. Follow their lead—and if you want to step into 2016, add a little heart.We're pretty sure that when Converse released the originals in 1918, it didn't expect they'd get a once-over from Japanese fashion sorceress Rei Kawakubo.
$125, Comme des Garçons PlayThe Allover Print
Bonus points if you can find a model like this one, where the designer cared enough to do something different with the sole.
$650, GucciThe Tone-on-Tone
Heavily monogrammed two-tone LV luggage might catch your eye at baggage claim, but the baller shoe move is something more subtle.
$855, Louis VuittonThe Hoops Shoe of the Future
Kobe might not play in it. But Nick Young—a.k.a. Swaggy P—definitely would.
$250, Diesel
8/11AIR JORDAN, PAST AND FUTURE
When it comes to high-tops, there's still just one name that matters. And it doesn't belong to a designer.
It's funny: We keep expecting Jordans to fall off, to be killed by overexposure—or, worse, by corny celebrities like Macklemore who've attached themselves to the Jumpman. But the designers on MJ's team are too nimble. Every time the culture shifts, they're right there with classic retros twisted just enough to make kids salivate. Or they're making the perfect tonal high-tops to pair with your John Elliott sweats. And when they themselves don't have the answers, they sub in talents like the guys from Public School to hit all the right notes (pictured above). We're not sure how long MJ's reign is going to last. But no matter what Kanye says, no one's jumping over the Jumpman.
—MARK ANTHONY GREENLeft: $140, Jordan Brand at Wish ATL
Right: $300, Jordan Brand x Public School
9/11KNIGHTS OF THE HIGH TABLE
Four celebrity members of the Air Jordan cult—and the pairs they rock best.
10/11SUITED UP
Contrary to popular belief, you can wear high-tops with a suit. Just follow a few simple rules.
- Two colors on the shoe, max: one for the upper and one for the sole.
- Lace to the top—that way, your pant leg won't get lost inside the shoe.
- Get on (even more) intimate terms with your tailor. You're going to need a slim, trim, and perfectly hemmed pair of pants. Wear the shoes to the alteration.
$895, Christian Louboutin
$179, Greats
$416, Common Projects
11/11Yeah, these shoes have only two colors, but the four—count ’em, four—different textures make them (and you) look sophisticated.
Tailor your pants just as you would with dress shoes: nipped in at the ankle and zero (like, zero) break.
$365, Del Toro
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Pants, J.Lindeberg