A burning question on everybody’s lips: What shoes can you wear with slacks? The simple answer is…. A pair of sneakers or trainers with a crisp polo shirt! Athletic shoes with slacks can seem strange at first, but in this article, we'll explain exactly why it's such a versatile creative look.
One of the newest looks that is gaining traction within the world of Sartorial fashion is Italian slacks and sneakers.
A pair of slacks is a more casual and comfortable type of dress pants, but for this article we’ll treat dress pants and slacks as the same thing, just because it’s easier to understand.
What are slacks you might ask? They are normally elasticated types of dress pants, and don’t come as part of a suit normally, but are instead purchased separately. They're in between sweatpants and dress pants.
Where should you wear the slacks and sneakers look?
This is not a look that you should wear everywhere. For example, it’s clearly breaking the Black Tie Event Dress Code - but that doesn’t mean this look can’t be an essential member of your classic menswear wardrobe.
In this installment of trendsetter, we look at the newly developing look, slacks and sneakers combination. Although it is similar to the suit and sneakers look, this particular look doesn't require a suit blazer and instead can be worn with a polo shirt, which creates an amazing business casual look using a polo shirt.
This is an example of the sockless/sneaker sock with dress pants and sneakers which has been taking over Italy.
I recently went to a fairly swanky party - which I considered to be business casual attire. I wore a shirt, dress pants, and a pair of dress shoes.
Every man who went there (all Italian) wore a pair of slacks with a pair of Italian sneakers.
This isn't an exaggeration, I was the only person at the party wearing dress shoes.
Fashion is born from trends - and I can tell you right now that if a trend is gaining this much traction in Italy, it won’t be long until the entire world is wearing dress pants and slacks with a pair of sneakers.
But is this a good thing? We here at IsuiT, although lovers of Italian Sartorial Tailoring - we love innovation also. This is a look that will soon be the norm at weddings all over the world, so you may as well accept it.
You can still dress as formally as you like - you don't have to personally embrace this look, but don't look down on others - because you are probably the stick in the mud, while others are innovating. There's no point hating, just wear your dress shoes, look smarter than they do, and smile.
Let’s talk about how to actually create this look
Firstly, a lot of people ask which shoes to wear with a polo and slacks to create this business casual look - we like sneakers, but you could also wear a nice pair of dress shoes also.
Here's a list of some of our favorite color combinations to achieve this refined look of slacks and sneakers together:
- Black slacks with white sneakers - White Polo
This is a classic combination that always looks sharp. Whether you're going for a casual look or something more formal, black slacks and white sneakers are a great option
- Brown slacks with white sneakers - Black Polo
Khaki is such a versatile color and it looks great with brown sneakers. This combination is perfect for a casual day at work or running errands around town
- Navy slacks with white sneakers - White Polo
Navy blue is such a classic color and it goes well with just about anything. Pairs of navy slacks and white sneakers are always in style and they'll never go out of fashion
- Gray slacks with black/navy sneakers - Black/Gray/Charcoal or Navy Polo
Gray is such a versatile color and it goes great with black sneakers. This combination can be dressed up or down depending on the occasion
- Brown slacks with white sneakers - White Polo shirt
Brown is such a rich color and it looks great with white sneakers. This combination is perfect for a casual lunch date or meeting friends for coffee
Can we wear sneakers with formal pants?
This is an important question and isn’t quite the same as the one we tackled before. Although you can wear sneakers with dress pants as mentioned previously - we would recommend creating this look with a more casual pair of dress pants, also known as slacks.
If you’re wearing overly formal pants, you should really wear a complete classic menswear look.
Can sneakers be semi-formal
Yes! You can easily create a business casual or semi-formal look using sneakers. The best way to achieve this is to wear a suit, with a tailored blazer, and then simply wear sneakers with this look.
You should not wear a tie if you’re doing this, as the mismatching formality and casualness will make you look like you have absolutely no idea what you’re doing.
Instead, wear a simple white or light blue shirt, and a pair of sneakers. Check out this look here:
Can I wear sneakers with black pants?
Yes - Black Slacks are one of the most popular choices for this look. The reason is that the contrast between Black and another color works incredibly well for this casual formal style.
You should make sure that your outfit is complete, and not put anything too strange into the mix, but this can be an essential look.
