High-top sneakers are sneakers that have a height extending beyond the ankle.
High-top shoes and sneakers are generally associated with Basketball and Streetwear fashion.
High-top sneakers are the perfect sneakers for people who do not wish to bare their socks and have that awkward length between a low-top sneaker and their jeans covered up.
High-top sneakers are especially popular amongst men who have a wide range of versatile situations to wear them in.
One of the reasons why high and high-top sneakers became popular in the 20th century is its use by athletes.
High-top sneakers started as the choice of footwear for sportsmen.
However, more recently high-top sneakers have now become more of a collector’s item, something sneakerheads or people who love expanding their collection of sneakers are extremely preoccupied with.
Not long after the invention of basketball in the late 1800s, there came a vacuum in the market for a particular type of shoe that could be worn by basketball players.
The first-ever basketball shoe in the high-top fashion was created by Spalding.
It was created using canvas material and had a very thin rubber sole, not like Converse’s classic thick soles renowned as the iconic Chuck Taylors.
The biggest selling point of a high-top sneaker compared to a low-top is the safety it provides one’s ankle. It completely envelopes the foot and provides solid protection from all directions.
It was known to mimic the ankle boots of the early 1900s, which were associated with major men’s footwear.
Over the years, the sneaker technology has gotten extremely developed, to the point of minimizing the chances of injuries or sprains based on their engineering.
High-top sneakers are adored by people of all social strata, by jocks, by nerds, by self-proclaimed hipster kids, by theater kids.
High-top sneakers are known to be highly functional for everyday use, including providing a good comfort level for everyday walking or running.
Of course, for more sporty activities better high-top shoes are available in the market, ones that support you for extreme activities more than the regular high-top sneakers.
Because of just how iconic and legendary high-top sneakers are, we are breaking down some ways you can style them and enhance your overall style quotient.
High-Top Sneakers as Fashion Trends Over The Years
- Early 1900s – The early 1900s saw the birth of high-top sneakers, purely out of necessity for the appropriate shoe for basketball rather than fashion. The Converse All-Stars Chuck Taylors are the oldest known high-top sneakers, especially ones that are still in production and even more infamous.
Source: Converse.com
- 1940s-1960s – The mid-20th century saw a rise in high-top sneakers being used as a way to mix casual with more formal clothing. This era introduced a spike in preppy fashion with high-top sneakers.
Source: Pinterest
- 1970s and 1980s – The later 20th century utilized high-top sneakers as a form of rebellion and striving for a fashion statement that broke from the previous generations. These years saw high-top sneakers used in fashionable outfits with bell-bottom jeans, and cropped tops, and an affinity for colors.
Source: JC Penney Archives & Pinterest
- The 1990s and Y2K Fashion – The 1990s introduced a new facet to high-top sneakers by inviting a brand-new target consumer base in skateboarders. Skateboarders have accepted high-top sneakers as their own, namely vans, and we see a rise in these fashion moments in the 1990s and early 2000s.
Source: bewakoof.com
Styling High-Top Sneakers
One of the fundamental things to keep in mind about high-top sneakers is that they either tend to flare out a bit at the end of their height, especially if they are the classic Air Jordans, or they tend to be a fitted shoe, like Chuck Taylors.
It is important to understand the kind of shoe you own before styling it perfectly.
Flared-out High-Top Sneakers With T-shirts
For flared-out high-top sneakers, it is important to pair it with a more slim-fitting pair of pants, or jeans. This accentuates the flare, and gives it a very cool silhouette.
For a flared high-top sneaker, it is important to not just look at the pair of pants you use, but also the t-shirt you choose.
As you choose a slim-fitting pair of pants, it is important to use the sandwich method of styling and wear an oversized t-shirt.
To give your entire fit more definition, you can add a jacket of your choosing.
Choosing a jacket can depend on the material and colors of your high-top sneakers. If it’s a red color and the rest if your outfit does not highlight its red accents, all you have to do is add a red checkered shirt, or a plaid shirt to tie it all together.
To accessorize it further, you can add a silver-toned chain or some rings. Or, just trust your gut and go with the jewelry you love the most.
Styling High-Top Sneakers With Different Clothing Staples
- High Top Sneakers With Formal Wear Like Chinos and Formal Pants: Chinos, while being the poster child for formal wear and for office bros who love to include them in their everyday workwear wardrobe, are now being adopted into streetwear fashion. Pairing your favorite Converse high-top sneakers, or Air Force 1s, can elevate them by adding a new facet of streetwear fashion to your chinos.
- Wearing High-Tops With Athleisure: Take your high-top sneakers back to their roots of being used in basketball and other sporting endeavors. You can pair your high-top sneakers with comfortable and relaxed sportswear like a pair of joggers, sweatpants, a polyester jacket, etc. You can go for chunky, colorful high top sneakers that can bring some funk and fun to your athleisure outfit!
- High-top Sneakers With Shorts: Shorts are the perfect summer staple that can make you feel and look as casual as the breeze on summer days. Pairing these shorts with the perfect high-top Converse, or Air Jordans, and adding like a breezy oversized shirt, or t-shirt can just make you look really on fleek. This is the perfect look if you wish to channel Lady Diana’s iconic 90s paparazzi snaps. If you own a more fitted form of high-top sneakers, like a pair of sock-shoes inspired by the original Balenciagas, or something more casual like Converse Chuck Taylors, styling it also follows the sandwich rule.
Types of Flares in High Tops
These fit-flare sneakers are tighter than the regular flares around your ankles. So, you want to opt for wide-legged jeans or pants.
Some other types of pants that look extremely cool with these sneakers are bootcut bell-bottom jeans, boyfriend jeans, or sweatpants.
Because of the sandwich rule, you can add a pair of form-fitting t-shirt or top, something that fits you really well.
Generally, I like to put on a turtleneck well-fitted t-shirt, to accentuate my neck, and with my wide-legged jeans and Chuck Taylors, my outfit has never looked more put together.
To accessorize it further, you can add some gold dainty chains around your neck, and gold hoops.
For all the fashion gals out there, you can add a handbag which is about the same color as your high-top sneakers, and with gold accents.
inclinations and let your love for your favorite pair of shoes take you to the right t-shirt or the right complete look. High-top sneakers are a boon to your wardrobe. They provide solace in the fact that you do not have to try too hard to make them a part of a successful outfit.
Conclusion
High-top sneakers can be a very stylish and trendy addition to your closet. Styling your favorite pair of high-top shoes has never been easier. Whether you are a massive NBA fanatic, or you live and breathe for the classic Chuck Taylor look, or you just love all kinds of high-top sneakers because you’re a certified sneakerhead, styling them should no longer scare you. All you have to do is trust your creative inclinations and let your love for your favorite pair of shoes take you to the right t-shirt or the right complete look. High-top sneakers are a boon to your wardrobe, and they provide solace in the fact that you do not have to try too hard to make them a part of a successful outfit.