I've always loved sneakers. I wear them every day (except in the summer) and do my best to keep them clean. Think of all the sneakers that have come out in the past 25 years. You've got so many colors, styles, uses, and materials. When it comes to clothin, guys don't get this much variety anywhere else. Work shoes are boring. Ties...who really wants to wear a tie. Suits--please. Jeans--ehh, I do like jeans, but only if they look good with a pair of sneakers.
T-shirts...hmmm...I love t-shirts too, but again, guys have limited colors and cuts. Shoes say a lot about you. Are you clean? Do you take pride in your appearance? Are you athletic? Are you stylish? Can you put together an outfit? Are you laid back?
For me, I love the variety of models and colors though I do tend to buy a lot of white. I love retro and older models. I think sneakers are fun. Comfort is also important. I'm not into formal or business wear. I like being comfortable while looking half decent. You don't need to spend a lot of money to grab some cool kicks either. Just do a little internet research (it won't kill you) and you'll find some deals.
I have no problem wearing women's sneakers. I cross-dress, but I'll wear them in "guy mode" too. I think women have cooler colors and since my feet are on the small side (men,s 7.5, women's 9), I can wear most of their styles. So here are my top 40 favorite sneakers (that I own) in no particular order:
Adidas Attitude: I love these high tops in this colorway! I love high-tops in general, but there's something about this design that I just had to have. These are kinda super high tops IMO, because they're kinda thicker around the ankle. I believe they were originally worn by Patrick Ewing, but I don't follow basketball (or any other sport) so I'm not totally sure.
Adias Stan Smith: These are just classic all the way. You really can't not like these unless you hate white sneakers. I have to say these even look good when they get scuffed up--some people prefer them that way. Gotta go with white/green!
Adidas Superstar: Who didn't or doesn't have a pair of these??! Really? They come in a ton of colors and materials. Many are hard to find and many are available at your local shoe store. They're the definition of classic and the shelltoe design is what makes this shoe.
Adidas Top Ten: These are super comfortable and cool. I love the blue and red on the padded color. I have to say I really like those three stripes. If the Adidas Attitudes were too bulky for you, try these.
Converse All-Stars: Again, who didn't or doesn't have a pair of these classic sneakers? Your parents probably had a pair. These have stoof the test of time and come in many colors and heights. They have thigh high, knee high, ankle high, and of course these low ones. I want some ankle ones. My femme side wants thigh highs.
Converse Ev Pro OX: I haven't seen many people wearing these, but I love how they look when they're fresh and white. I like the height of the toe box and they look great with jeans.
K-Swiss Classic: Again, another pair of classic white sneakers. They go well with just about anything and the 5 stripes come in a variety of colors as well.
Lacoste Carnaby: I love these!! As you can probably tell, I love that smooth, classic, solid, toe box design. These come in a variety of colors and in similar designs, but can be a tad bit expensive. Go for the Adidas Stan Smiths, Converse Ev Pros, Nike Sweets, Nike Court Classics, Puma Baskets, or Reebok NPCs) if you don't want to drop a lot of money on this style.
New Balance 993: I loved the New Balance (NB) 991 and 992 (I have them as well) so naturally I was drawn to the 993s. Many people like them as well as the cheaper NB 574, 575, and 576 shoes. These usually go for about $120 so try to look for a deal--never pay full price!! They're marketed as a serious running shoe, but most people seem to wear them for fashion.
Nike Air Classic BW: BW stands for "Big Window". I'm not quite sure what that means, but I love these sneaks! Again, they come in all sorts of colors, some harder than others to find (and thus more expensive), but I love the toe design and the placement of colors.
Nike Air Flight Lite: More high-tops and these are super high! These came out years ago, but they've retro-ed them. They can go for over $100, but I got mine for a lot less. Ebay works wonders. I really like the large tongue on these--it gives them that 80s feel.
Nike Air Force 1 (Low): Sooooo many people love this sneaker, especially the traditional white on white version. They come in so many colors such as the one below so you're sure to find a colorway that suits your style. They came out in 1982 (the year of me) and remain popular to this day. They make low-top, mid-top, and high-top versions.
Nike Air Force 1 (Mid): Tons of people have these as well, but again, mostly in just the all white colorway. This is the D-Town version, which was released a few years ago. I really like this shade of blue on white. How you place the strap and tongue is up to you, but they go well with jeans as well as shorts.
Nike Air Jordan V: I love the colorway asnd style here. The spiked blue coming from the sole really pulls the shoe together and if you don't like it, fuck off. These are classic Jordans.
Nike Air Jordan VI (Low): I love pink, what can I say. The style is also awesome--again it's that smooth toe box design that I go for.
Nike Air Jordan VII: This colorway was made for women, but come on--anyone can wear these colors. Smooth toe design and sweet collar. Lots of girls wear these with skinny jeans and it looks hot.
Nike Air Jordan XIV: Again, I'm loving the color and toe design, but what I really like about this shoe are those two big, red, shark-tooth shaped angles that come up on the front sides. A lot of classic Jordans can look a little space aged, but they're sleek in design and stand the test of time.
Nike Air Max CB: CB for Charles Barkley as this ws one of his shoes. Not everyone likes these, but I had to get the white/gray colors. The heel air unit, circles, and 3 claw-shaped angles near the toe really do it for me.
Nike Air Max 90: Another classic sneaker that is pretty popular with most people. There's nothing I don't like about the lines in the Air Max 90 and these colors, especially the pink, made me bite. They're mine!
Nike Air Max 97: Perhaps not as popular as the Air Max 90 and Air Max 95, the 97 holds up in my book. You've got that long air unit and the silver is pretty sweet. It has a reflective strip for night running, but these can run pretty expensive in a store. I'll say it again...go to ebay, but watch out for fakes!!!
Nike Air Revolution: These are some pretty high sneakers. Your ankles will definitely feel secure and you'll look pretty awesome as well. These look hot with skinny jeans as well as regular ones. The toe box is very classic, but the overall shoe just screams to be let out onto a basketball court.
Nike Air Tech Challenge Hybrid: These are colorful and that's a big reason I purchased them. They're a hybrid version of the Tech Challenge shoes that came out in the 90s when Agassi was playing tennis. Hence, they're tennis shoes, but almost everyone rocks these for style.
Nike Cortez: Remember these from the 70s? I don't--I'm an 80s baby, but I had to have a pair...well, several pairs. It's a unique, pretty unisex-looking design that comes in many different colors. You can't go wrong with these.
Nike Dunk: I love this colorway. Look at the texture, colors, design, etc. Everyone loves Dunks and they come in so many colors. You can choose between low, mid, and high-top styles. I had to have these when they came out a few years ago.
Nike Dunk: These glow in the dark--that's how much variety there is in the Dunk family! I had to have these as well. It's the off-white/bone color that glows. You have to put them under light before they glow.
Nike Dunk Zoom: I absolutely love the colors on this shoe. Yes, it was designed for women and yes, I'll still wear them. They're hard to come by, but if you look hard enough you can get a good deal. I bought them in NYC for $29.
Nike Shox Classic: I'm a big fan of Shox. They're a bit too heavy for running, but the style is cool. These, along with the R4, D, Turbo, Monster, TL, and NZ models, are my favorite. My femme side really likes the Bellas.
Nike Vandal: I saw these in a Nike Outlet store and had to have them. The price waqs right at $39, but when i got up to the register they rang for only $9.99. I was tempted to get a second pair. This particular color is "concord" and it comes in a "high shine" that I love. Again, do what you will with the strap, but definitely don't hide this shoe in your closet. It was made to be shown off.
Puma Basket: These come in a variety of colors and once again you've got that classic smooth toe box styling. I fell in love with the white/purple/yellow and had to take them home with me. You can usually find these for a pretty fair price in most stores with a few special editions available only at Puma stores and Puma.com. Another classic shoe!
Puma Disc Blaze: These may look a little gimmicky with those large discs, but they're cool nonetheless, especially in this colorway. Surprisingly, this stlye (with its colors) go well with many different outfits. Incase you were curious, you twist the disc in one direction to tighten the shoe and twist it in the opposite direction to loosen it. Pretty simple, genius.
Puma Roma: Well, this is another really classic shoe and it's really versatile. It goes with just about any outfit, it's comfortable, and it comes in many colors and materials. Gotta love that toe design.
Reebok Battleground Pump: When Pumps first came out they were super expensive and Reebok continued that tradition when it re-released its Pumps a few years ago. This gem is just awesome! I had to get a pair and I'm still afraid to wear them. Not everyone loves (or even knows) Pumps, but they're definitely old school. No matter what else you wear, you have to display the pump. Not doing so defeats the whole purpose! The Pump was
originally designed to provide a custom fit by allowing the wearer to inflate the air chambers in the tongue and around the ankles. The vintage pairs that I own actually do provide a custom fit. The retro/re-released versions don't really do much.
The Pump Tongue! You press the pump bubble to inflate the shoe (just don't pump too hard) and hold down the raised, ribbed button to the side to deflate them.
Reebok BB4600: I LOVE these shoes--truly LOVE them. These have got to be in my top 5 sneakers of all time. These are so old school and bad ass. They pre-date the Pump and while everyone wants the original white/blue, white/gray and white/white models, Reebok seems hesitant to do so--WTF??!! I love the large padded collar and the lines of the shoe--they're high and the tongue is huge--very 80s (I believe 1986 to be exact). I also love the old Reebok symbol. back in the day these were THE basketball shoes to have.
Reebok Bringback Pump: Another pair of classic Pumps. These, aside from the Reebok Twilights, have got to be some of the highest high-tops I own. If you don't like gimmicky sneakers or high-tops, stay away from these, but if you always wanted a pair when they were first released, but couldn't afford them, now's your chance. They've been re-released in pretty limited numbers, but you can still find them on ebay and in specialty shops if you're willing to look around. Like most other Pumps you inflate them by pumping the bubble on the tongue, but unlike most others you have to press the small button on the back of the shoe to deflate them.
Reebok Club C: Though not as glamorous as the Pump, the Club C is an old favorite and the terry cloth lining is really nice against your skin. These go with just about anything, but I prefer them with shorts and a collared shirt. Very simple shoe, but a classic (pretty inexpensive too).
Reebok Court Victory I Pump: These were originally designed as tennis shoes and were worn by tennis star Michael Chang, but these days they come in a variety of wild colors and are mostly used for kicking around. I still can't find the right outfit with which to wear this colorway. Argghhhh!
Reebok Court Victory II: Again, these were originally designed as tennis shoes and won by Chang, but these days their mostly just for fun and fashion. This colorway's easier to wear than the pink Victory I and I love the lines. Instead of holes in the toe box you have lines, something that adds so much to the overall look. These are probably my favorite Pumps.
Reebok Omni-Pump: Originally designed as basketball sneakers, these are for fashion nowadays. I just had to show you that I don't just buy white sneakers. I love these so much I've never worn them! You just can't beat the orange Pump on the black/white background. I have to say I really do prefer the look of the original omnis over the retro ones. There are definite deifferences in lines and spacing, materials and overall feel. I'll let it slide--these are too cool.
Reebok Sir Jam: Though I feel they were a little overshadowed by the Reverse Jams when they were re-released, these classic 90s sneakers are nothing short of sweet. They come in a variety of colorways, but that 90s feel is definitely not lost. If you're on the fence about high-tops, but you like colors, consider these. The tongue is also large--another reminder of early 90s sneaker design.
Reebok Freestyle: Even though it's a women's shoe, you really can't have a series of 80s sneakers and not mention the Freestyle. Popular among aerobics people, this shoe continues to be released in all kinds of crazy colors and designs. My femme side loves them and I do have a few pairs. Great for an 80s night or just for hanging around the house. Do what you will with the straps--these are really comfortable. You won't even know you're wearing them.
