The Right Way to Wear Sock Sneakers

There are only two sneaker trends that matter right now: bulky, oversize retro running-inspired sneakers (the ugly-on-purpose kinds made by Balenciaga, Yeezy, and Dior Homme) and sock sneakers (the sleek, ankle-hugging kinds made by those exact same brands, actually). Aesthetically, the two styles could not be any more different. But while the colorful, chunky runners double down on a silhouette your dad and dentist and high school chemistry teacher have sworn by for decades, the recent emergence of sock sneakers has led many guys to ask: Just how the hell do you wear them?

Sock sneakers, or “snockers,” as we’re going to keep insisting on calling them, are easily identified by their knit uppers and hyper-sleek silhouettes. Most look, quite literally, like thick, usually colorful socks with rubber soles attached. Because the style—and the innovations that made them possible in the first place—is still relatively new (i.e. they’re just seeping into the mass market), there aren’t endless Google image search results to be used as outfit inspiration. So we polled the GQ style braintrust and came up with three easy rules for wearing them, whether you’re heading to the gym, to work, or to hit the town.

Sneakers, $170, by Adidas / Leather jacket by Coach / Shirt and pants by Adidas x Alexander Wang

If your sweats have a case of logomania, make sure your sneakers follow suit—ideally with the same brand. (Please adhere to the cardinal rule of logo mixing.) To break things up and take your vibe from pre-Spin class to street-ready, throw a motorcycle jacket over your athletic-leaning layers.

Rule #1: The Right Snockers Make It Easy

The best sock sneakers are the ones that let their silhouette do the talking, whether they come with laces on the upper or are streamlined to the max (i.e. the red pair at top from Adidas and Gosha Rubchinskiy). So steer clear of any pairs that combine multiple colors or patterns into the design. Instead, stick with a single solid hue and keep the contrast to a minimum, and you’ll have a pair you can slip into no matter what you’re wearing above your ankles.

Rule #2: Start with Sweats

Pair sock sneakers with gym-ready trousers and you’re halfway to a killer outfit. That’s the foolproof way to wear them, especially when the sweatpant comes with a tapered, cuffed bottom that doesn’t cover your sleek new sneakers. It’s a look that plays into the shoes’ sporty roots while giving them the shine they deserve.

Rule #3: Say Goodbye to Blue Jeans

Throwing on some indigo blue jeans above your snockers is the quickest way to push your fit into dad-style territory (and we’re not talking the good part). The rugged macho vibes of blue jeans clash with the inherent modernity of a snocker. Black jeans are better, but a pair of very 2017 relaxed-fit trousers cropped above your ankle is best.

Sneakers, $595, by Lanvin / Coat by Tom Ford / Shirt by Sacai / T-shirt by Nanamica / Pants by Hugo Boss

Sock sneakers won’t only make you stand out in a room full of basic white tennis sneakers—they’re also a hell of a lot more comfortable, just like your biggest, warmest, cocoon-iest overcoat and relaxed trousers (which also happen to be super stylish right now).

Styled by Kelly McCabe. Grooming by Benjamin Thigpen.