Tweak your sporty footwear into formal

What you need to know:

We all have different style preferences. Wearing sneakers is not just for the gym but can be turned around for a formal look. Gloria Haguma brings you the different ways you can look cool in sneakers outside the gym or workout zone.

We all have different style buds, and regardless of what your lifestyle is, or what your preferences are, we always want our individuality to be reflected in what we wear.

Today, we focus on the sporty gentleman, the ones whose shoe rack is lined with only high tops and sneakers. These will definitely come in handy when you have to hit the gym, or for the weekend. So what happens when you are invited to a high profile event and you have to dress the part? You can still wear your sneakers, but what you team them up with matters most.

With the aid of three different looks, read on for how you can blend in those sneakers with your tux, chinos, and also rock them to the office.

The basics
For a formal look, it would be wise not to have your sneakers very flashy. Keep them simple, but good enough to make the right statement. Unless you are wearing a full suit, the chino pants are good match for this look. Because they may be formal, they do have softer element to them which is what sneakers are; soft. You may need a pair of sunglasses, or aviators. These will complete the look.

The office
This look can work best from Wednesday to Friday. To begin with, you are going to need a pair of chinos. Then a blazer, plus a dress shirt. That way, it becomes easy to fit in your sneakers, or even high tops, and not look odd when you walk into your office. And this look can even be nailed by the CEO.

The tux/suited up look
Ordinarily, the dress shoes, probably in the black or tan shade, are always a good option when it comes to choosing what to match with your tux. But what happens if you are the sporty kind of individual? Then you pull out your converse.

To pull this look off well, ensure the sneakers are in a one toned colour, not too flashy like Alex Ndawula (right), but good enough to make the right statement. You can also choose to go tie-less so that the look doesn’t come off like you are trying too hard.