How to work trendy sneakers into your everyday wardrobe

31 January 2016 - 02:00 By Roxanne Robinson
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Fashion stylist Natalia Feruiu in Nike shoes and Mango trousers.
Fashion stylist Natalia Feruiu in Nike shoes and Mango trousers.
Image: Kirstin Sinclair/Getty Images

If you think you can’t possibly pull off wearing to sneakers to work or, in fact, anywhere outside the gym, trend forecaster Roxanne Robinson begs to differ. She shares tips to help you tap into your inner sneakerhead

I'm definitely a flats-over-heels kind of girl. If I wasn't slightly on the short side, I'd wear flats from morning to night. Initially, I wasn't convinced by the latest sneaker explosion. Sure, my younger sister, who's cooler and more street than me, can easily pull off a pair of Nike Air Max. And guys who dress in all-black everything with just the right amount of sock showing look fresh to death sporting their adidas ZX Flux. But me? I don't wear jeans, let alone trousers; I'm all about T-shirts and shiny skirts, you see. It wasn't until I needed a pair of walking shoes for my Euro trip last year that I became one with the Sneaker Appreciation Society.

I chose the dandiest adidas Stan Smiths with gold toecaps and silver tongues so that I wouldn't get bored of looking down at them for three weeks - and I didn't. I started looking at blogger Susie Bubble (pictured below) as my sneaker how-to gal and embraced the idea of pairing shimmery party frocks with crisp white sneaks or my red polka-dot Joel Janse van Vuuren summer dress with my black and white polka-dot Supergas. It's basically like playing dress-up but without the 3pm foot-ache that comes from wearing a pointed court shoe all day.

I realised sneakers were here to stay (and not just for play) when the world's top fashion editors were seen in the front row of international fashion weeks donning their Stan Smiths, which have arguably become the most popular of the lot. Last year's normcore trend made it okay for fashion girls to attend events in the quintessential coat-and-trouser combo and their all-white sneakers punctuated their looks perfectly.

I was in Paris for a few days last year and spent hours watching impeccably dressed Parisian women walk the cobbled streets in what seemed to be an unspoken uniform: collared shirt, well-tailored coat in every shade of blue and grey, oversized leather handbag, and sneakers of every colour and style. If they can do it, surely you can, too?

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HOW TO WEAR SNEAKERS TO WORK

We spend a lot of time considering how to take our work attire from the office to a cocktail bar, am I right? But these days, everyone's quitting carbs and doing yoga in a sauna, so it makes sense that we've started gravitating towards workwear that can easily transition between the office and gym. I've seen it plenty of times at Joburg's Hyde Park Corner ... the ladies in their Stella McCartney for adidas leggings. Whether they've actually come from the gym is hard to say, but, nonetheless, the sporty-chic trend is not leaving any time soon. Why not work it into your officewear? A pair of squeaky clean Stan Smiths with a slim-cut navy suit and a good white oversized shirt is très chic for the workplace - think Jenna Lyons (pictured below).

 

HOW TO ROCK SNEAKERS ON THE WEEKEND

If reincarnation is a real thing, I'd like to come back as someone with the wardrobe and dress sense of Céline's Phoebe Philo. She has that effortless-cool way of dressing down to a (seemingly) simple art. Can't quite wrap your head around wearing sneakers to the office? Practise on weekends. How about taking a page out of Jerry Seinfeld's book and running your errands in a pair of white trainers and jeans? But let's be clear - I'm not talking about mom jeans and bad takkies. Pair boyfriend jeans with monochrome New Balance kicks and a boxy white shirt. Too boring? Go to brunch in your trusty summer wide-leg culottes, a silk blouse and a pair of floral Nike Roshe. The options are endless.

 

HOW TO CHOOSE THE PERFECT PAIR OF SNEAKERS

If you feel like you're not ready to hop aboard the sneaker train and max out your credit limit buying "designer" sneakers, loads of retailers have caught on to the trend and have released many budget-friendly alternatives. Pastel pink lace-ups, clean all-white trainers or sequinned, they have them all. First figure out what your personal style is by trying out a few.

Here are some of the hottest sneakers in store at the moment:

 

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