Sneakers & Suits

[WEDWDW]

When did it become "trendy" for men to wear Sneakers instead of Dress Shoes with Suits.

Do you think it will continue or at some point will go away?

To me it looks as stupid as wearing Dress Shoes with athletic wear would look.

 

[Sweettears]

I agree. Looks like they changed shoes to hike it to the commuter train

 

[China Expat]

It's getting old. Next it will be flip flops and suits

 

[LoveDaisy]

Where are you going that men are still wearing suits? My company recently held a conference attended by by c-suite people in financial services and no one wore a suits lots of jeans and sneakers.

I am not sure sneakers with suits will go away. I think we are now in a much more casual world and I don’t see formal dress coming back any time soon.

 

[goofyernmost]

What is new about that casual look. I was in management most of my career and with the exception of my first two years (1972 - 1974). After that, I think I wore a suit probably 5 times and that was when going to meet a new "customer" or a job interview and that depended on the type of job I was looking for. As far as sneakers were concerned if they didn't look like I just got off the basketball court it probably would have been more comfortable at times. Keds didn't go well with anything.

I know we all looked like nice little copies of each other all dressed in the suit and blood flow reducing tie, and it made it like we all were just one person with no personality at all. I was watching a rerun of "Leave it to Beaver" and the Father wore a suit and tie at home. I guess that he had to keep up with Mom, washing dishes and vacuuming with heals, dresses and pearls. Talk about fantasy. I will say that people were a lot less angry back then. Probably to uncomfortable to complain.

 

[NYCgrrl]

Funny, a similar question in today’s Times in the “Ask Vanessa” column.

People have been wearing athletic shoes and suits since at least the 80’s. The trend got bigger in NYC during the transit strike when Wall Street types had to walk over the bridge to get home. And yes, shoe changing was the norm.

Now with sneakers costing upwards of $500.00 even bankers and people working at “white soled” legal firms wear them. And you can wear them in Europe and not immediately be pegged as a North American

 

[PollyannaMom]

Looks like they changed shoes to hike it to the commuter train

That's why would think nothing of it if I saw it. I used to wear sneakers on my commute and change into shoes at my desk all the time. There's nothing wrong with prioritizing the health of your feet.

 

[Skippyboo]

You also have shoes like this one from Cole Haan. That’s a dress shoe on top with a more sneaker like bottom. A mere $170.

 

[Sweettears]

That's why would think nothing of it if I saw it. I used to wear sneakers on my commute and change into shoes at my desk all the time. There's nothing wrong with prioritizing the health of your feet.

No judgment, observation. I couldn’t care less what other people wear unless it goes against established and communicated guidelines.

 

[Sweettears]

Where are you going that men are still wearing suits? My company recently held a conference attended by by c-suite people in financial services and no one wore a suits lots of jeans and sneakers.

I am not sure sneakers with suits will go away. I think we are now in a much more casual world and I don’t see formal dress coming back any time soon.

Basically to work. I wear a suit at least 3 times a week and sometimes 4.

 

[Sweettears]

What is new about that casual look. I was in management most of my career and with the exception of my first two years (1972 - 1974). After that, I think I wore a suit probably 5 times and that was when going to meet a new "customer" or a job interview and that depended on the type of job I was looking for. As far as sneakers were concerned if they didn't look like I just got off the basketball court it probably would have been more comfortable at times. Keds didn't go well with anything.

I know we all looked like nice little copies of each other all dressed in the suit and blood flow reducing tie, and it made it like we all were just one person with no personality at all. I was watching a rerun of "Leave it to Beaver" and the Father wore a suit and tie at home. I guess that he had to keep up with Mom, washing dishes and vacuuming with heals, dresses and pearls. Talk about fantasy. I will say that people were a lot less angry back then. Probably to uncomfortable to complain.

You mean everyone looks alike with the facial hair and casual dress. Not to mention the mandatory baseball cap. ( Worn backwards for serious formal meetings).

 

[Minnesota!]

I like the look. Suits are lame, IMO. Tennis shoes make the person look immediately more approachable.

30 years in the corporate world and suits need to die. Everyone is much happier in casual clothes.

 

[BlueStarryHat]

One of the sports reporters on my local station, WPVI ABC6 in Philly wears sneakers with his suits. Jason Dumas. He looks really put together all of the time, and the sneakers are sort of his 'thing.'

 

[snystedt]

I realize there is no "right answer, to each his own (I guess).

I lived in Minneapolis for 5 years and NYC for 20 and wore a suit to work every day. 3 years ago we moved to Chicago and it is definitely more casual. In my role I cover from Boston to South Dakota, when in the Northeast I still wear a suit and tie, in the Midwest its a sportcoat and slacks.

I don't think I could wear tennis shoes with a suit. I do like dress shoes and don't really like the look of sneakers with a suit.

It may be my age but when interviewing it does matter to me how people dress (professional setting and customer facing job), I feel that in that setting you are (should be) putting your best foot forward and if you can't put the effort than its very telling. I have interviewed people in a suit wearing tennis shoes and I'm ok with that (again, not my cup of tea but it seems more common).

Maybe flip flops are in my future, who knows.

 

[_19disnA]

Over the years, 'casual' shoes have evolved to look less like a tennis shoe and more like a dress shoe. There used to be 'dress' shoes and tennis shoes, now there are a whole range of footwear options. For attending some public event like a wedding/funeral/graduation (for example), I think it is fine for men to wear a suit with some sort of casual looking 'dress' shoe. What you wear at work probably depends mostly on what the expectations of the company are.

In the business world, I never found that someone wearing a suit does a better job than someone who doesn't, seemed mostly like a matter of personal preference or for some it is a matter of trying to impress their boss..............LOL. Attending a job interview is probably a time that wearing a suit is more the norm, but certainly I wouldn't go to a job interview wearing shorts and a tee shirt..............LOL.

 

[Forevermarypoppins]

Do none of you have any foot issues? Maybe you're still young.
WAIT, it'll happen.
Comfort first most of the time, for me!

 

[kdonnel]

I was just in Las Vegas during the NAB(National Association of Broadcasters) convention.

Apparently the only approved dress was a blue coat over a light blue dress shirt with khaki pants and some sort of tennis shoe.

There were 40000 men walking around Vegas dressed virtually the same with their convention badge around their neck.

The only differences were the shades of blue of the coats and perhaps a few would be bold and wear a patterned dress shirt.

 

[goofyernmost]

You mean everyone looks alike with the facial hair and casual dress. Not to mention the mandatory baseball cap. ( Worn backwards for serious formal meetings).

I don't think that everyone has a beard, although I do (did then too) and casual dress, but of different colors and styles. Jeans are still not considered acceptable casual dress unless your the richest man in the country and have a degree in obnoxious. Any caps worn backwards by anyone over 25 years old, should be arrested and put in solitary confinement along with the cap. Like so many other things, it is supposed to be showing youth. The problem with that is that everything below the cap exudes old. In fact it emphasizes old in a drastically disrespectful way. To me, how one looks with the backward hat is equivalent to the infamous comb over.

 

[WEDWDW]

One of the sports reporters on my local station, WPVI ABC6 in Philly wears sneakers with his suits. Jason Dumas. He looks really put together all of the time, and the sneakers are sort of his 'thing.'

That is where I see it the most-with sports
personalities.


Like on all the NFL pre game shows,the personalities will have on their expensive suits and ties and there on their feet are athletic Shoes like they are headed to the gym or out for a run.

I bet Dress Shoes manufacturers are taking a hit.

 

[_19disnA]

Likely some of the TV sports personalities get paid to wear a certain brand of shoes.