Sneakers have been a must-have in most people’s wardrobes for ages. Style trends have evolved enough over time to give rise to various forms of sneakers.
Vintage sneakers are a rare commodity in today’s fashion collectors’ world. With people auctioning off their almost-new sneakers on retail websites like Depop, or threading, second hand sales of sneakers have been a very lucrative business model for younger generations looking to make a quick buck.
History of Low-Top Sneakers
Low-top sneakers are not a recent phenomenon. They have been around since the 70s and 80s.
If you watch an American teen drama from the 80s, you can easily spot numerous characters donning the classic Nike Air Force 1s, or more basketball sneakers like Air Jordans.
Air Jordans have had quite the blooming market over the past decades, with the collectors’ pairs selling for more than USD1000.
Air Jordans over the years have taken inspiration from legendary basketball players like Michael Jordan, Scottie Pippin, Lebron James, Kobe Bryant, etc. These players have acted like muses for their design team.
Source: Nike.com
Nike has been a trendsetter of high-quality, versatile low-top sneakers for generations. Nike has set the benchmark of what a multi-million dollar company with its head in the right place can do with the idea of releasing revolutionary sneakers.
Nike has managed to do something not many brands could have imagined – make a tangible form of legacy for these indubitably GOAT players.
These shoes have been a part of these players’ legacy, and they will continue to sell for ages and ages after they retire from the sport.
Other Low-Top Sneakers You Can Choose
Nike might have revolutionized the iconic status of some Low-Top sneakers, but some other classic brands and models have been in the game for just as long if not longer.
The all-American brand Converse comes into the picture. It has been around for a century now and has been creating extremely high-quality and spunky sneakers.
The Converse Rubber Shoe Company was founded in 1908 in Massachusetts, USA by Marquis Mills. The forerunner shoe of the brand, the All-Star shoe was founded in 1917, and thus began a love story of sneakerheads and all-stars which has transcended decades and decades.
The original model was not a low-top sneaker. On the contrary, their MO was a high-top shoe which is still extremely popular amongst the masses.
They came up with Chuck Taylors in the 1920s named after the American Basketball player Charles “Chuck” Taylor. The shoe had a distinctive 5-point logo, a high-top cut, and broke ground into being designed after major Basketball players, something Nike followed their traces in.
However, in 1957, Converse unveiled the black and white model of Chuck Taylor shoes, and its biggest distinctive feature was the low-top cutout.
It was inspired by the Oxford-style design of shoes. It was an immediate hit and thus sparked a half-a-century-long love affair between low-top Chuck Taylor and the people of the world.
Today, it can be customized to your preferences, and Comverse makes Chuck Taylor in a variety of colors, fabrics, and designs.
Another brand that would be remiss without a single mention would be Vans. Vans was a brand started in the mid-1960s by a pair of brothers in California, USA.
In 1975, they launched their first shoe, now known as the Era, which was a low-top sneaker. The target audience for Vans off the wall was the skateboarders.
Over generations, skateboarders have generally been partial to or preferred Vans over other brands, mainly because of the heritage it carries for Skateboarders.
Source: Converse.com
Benefits of Low-Top Sneakers over High-Top Sneakers
Here is a list of reasons why Low-top sneakers are more advantageous than high-tops.
- Low-top sneakers are extremely light compared to High-Top sneakers. The less amount of material used to construct the shoe makes them more durable and hence easier to move in.
- Muscles are easier to move in low-top sneakers. They allow for more movements around the ankle and do not restrict quick and reflexive movements. The muscles are more active and these shoes are suited to stabilize ankle joints.
- Numerous studies show that high-tops inhibit muscles from functioning and doing their tasks well, and can lead to more injuries.
How Can You Style Your Low-Top Sneakers In Different Ways
Styling Your Low-Top Sneakers is not a very tough feat. The best thing about low-top sneakers is how light they are making them perfect for several occasions, and marking them as extremely versatile.
There are so many varieties of low-top sneakers, that you are spoilt for choice. You can pick your favorite based on the heel height, whether you want them to be flats or heels-soles, or just the classic models and colors.
Whether you want to pair your low-tops in a casual setting, or with formal jackets. Here are a few tips you can use to enhance the look of your Low-Top Sneakers.
- Casually Chic – When you’re looking to create a casual look that somehow also looks chic, one of the most important things to keep in mind is choosing pieces that are cute but casual.
Source: Bewakoof.com
- Going for a classic white t-shirt to pair your white low-tops with and a pair of high-waisted denims might just be your calling. You can pair the white t-shirt with a leather jacket for a chilly day, or ditch the denims for a pair of jean shorts for a summer day.
- Blaze It Up – When pairing your low-tops with a pair of sneakers for a formal setting like a wedding reception, keep in mind to not make it look like you’re off to work with your suit.
- You can wear the outer jacket of your suit with a T-shirt and pair it with linen pants and your favorite low-top sneakers. You can choose various colors of your suit based on your shoe color. Or, you can make your multicolored pair of shoes the bright spot of the outfit (literally) by matching them with a subtle suit.
- Denim on Denim: If you’re inspired to channel your inner Eastern European for the day and are looking for a cool denim-on-denim look to accentuate your shoes.
- Denim is an extremely versatile fashion material and you can easily style it with a cool t-shirt with a mock neck, and a pair of slim-fitting jeans, but not too skinny.
- However, you must have a keen eye for the shoe you choose to go with your denim color.
- If your denim jacket and denim pants are a darker wash, you can add neutral-shade shoes in colors like tan, brown, white, black, and grey. Another tip is to match the shoe color with the t-shirt you wear making it a sandwich styling case.
- Layering for the Cold – We have to brace ourselves when the cold comes by layering our outfits.
- In a situation like this, you must start with a T-shirt of your choice, and pair it with a plaid cotton shirt. The final jacket to add can be of your choice, whether you wish for it to be a leather jacket or something classier like a trench coat, or you want to add something more contemporary like a puffer jacket.
- Layering allows you to work your creative muscle and mix and match various colors, patterns, or designs you initially wouldn’t have imagined would work well together.
- But that’s the thing about layering in the cold, it gives you fashion autonomy and control over what you want to wear.
- Preppy Fits – Whether or not you belong to a private school that costs more than USD60,000 is inconsequential when you wear a preppy fit.
- A preppy look is for people who adore channeling their inner Upper East Side, who like to believe they spend their weekends playing tennis in their expensive country club, and whose parents are wine-enthusiasts on the golf club.
- Preppy looks include linen shorts, polo t-shirts, sweater vests, high-knee socks, and pairing them with low-top sneakers like Chuck Taylor or Vans.
Conclusion
In conclusion, you have complete freedom of choice in choosing the right accessories to pair your low-top sneakers with. You can opt for long sleeves, or short sleeves, round neck or V-neck, turtleneck or mock neck, oversized or fitted t-shirt. Low-top sneakers are meant to showcase your persona, and the way you pair them with your outfit gives the people around you an insight into your mind and how you look at fashion.
Low-top sneakers have been a benchmark in fashion trends for over a century now. They have improved over time in terms of material, quality, and durability to make them more accessible for everyday wear.
So, grab your favorite pair of low tops, and pair it with what you believe looks good. Because the most important rule about styling is having fun and not taking yourself a bit too seriously.