How to Wear Basketball Sneakers With Pants

Matt Welty
Updated

Most footwear was initially designed for use in athletics, with an eye on groundbreaking function, rather than how the sneakers look when worn on the street. Basketball sneakers, in particular, have been some of the most difficult designs to wear with a pair of jeans, mainly because of the height of the sneakers.

This often results in people wearing too-baggy jeans and having an overall sloppy aesthetic from the ankle down. That's not the only mistake people can make, though: There other tricks to successfully wearing sneakers made for on-court use in a casual setting. To better outline them, here's How to Wear Basketball Sneakers With Pants.


  • Slim your pants down.

    Just because your sneakers are from 1995 doesn’t mean that your jeans should be, too. It’s time to get rid of the pants that devour a sneaker like a hungover man and a breakfast sandwich and go for something more modern.

    There’s a difference between super-slim jeans and something a little more tailored. Try a slim-straight cut or even get a pair of pants tailored at the bottom to a width that lets them rest comfortably on top of the sneaker. You want to feel good, but you also want to optimally show off your sneakers. Find a pair of jeans that allows you to do both.


  • Don't wear too skinny jeans, though.

    Slimming down a pair of jeans isn’t a bad thing, but there is, believe it or not, pants that are too skinny, especially if the sneakers are bulky. There’s a long-running joke of people wearing ultra-slim jeans with a pair of Foamposites, and that’s because the pairing is too drastic of a contrast.

    You want to wear a pair of jeans that slightly touches your sneaker, but doesn’t cover it. You don’t want to wear a pair jeans that looks like it’s literally tucked inside your shoe or a pair of leggings. That's never the right move. Sometimes wearing a pant that's a little looser, although not too loose, is the right option.


  • Stick with older, simpler silhouttes.

    There's a reason that people reminisce on the good old days of basketball sneakers and only wear Jordans 1 through IV. The sneakers were made cleaner back then and they've stood the test of time.

    Sneaker fans are more likely to wear a pair of the Air Force 1 Hi over the latest performance basketball model, at least on the street, because they're easier to pair with jeans or the like.

    It's not going to say that you shouldn't embrace the new, but you'll have a higher winning percentage with the older stuff.


  • Resist the urge to pinroll.

    Pinrolling your jeans with a pair of retro running sneakers has been popular in Europe for more than a decade, and it’s slowly caught on in the States, especially amongst sneaker folks. That doesn’t mean that all footwear is OK to sport a pinroll with.

    The problem with this style and high-tops is that it often pushes the pant leg up too high, instead of letting the jean naturally fall down with a runner. This look just doesn’t translate to a pair of Jordans or other pairs, no matter how hard someone tries.


  • Get your roll on.

    While pin rolling might look odd with a pair of high-tops, it’s OK to roll your jeans up a little higher to achieve a similar effect. Don’t go overboard and look like you’re ready to dig clams down at the sea shore, but an inch or two above the top of the sneaker (or rolling them so they hit the highpoint in the silhouette) is always an acceptable method.


  • Joggers can be tricky.

    Joggers have become quite popular amongst sneaker enthusiasts, mainly because they instantly eliminate the dreaded #ntdenim, where a pair of bad pants instantly destroys a pair of good sneakers. The elasticated cuffs come in many different forms of joggers, and they typically pair best with a pair of running sneakers.

    Sweatpants and high-tops will always be a solid combination because of athletics, but elasticated chinos and a pair of retro Air Jordans might not be the best move. As the sneaker gets higher and the jogger pant goes farther up your leg, you don’t want it to look like your calf is stretching the pant out.

    With that said, take into consideration how high your basketball sneakers are and how the jogger is going to look in correlation. It will make the world of difference.


  • Some sneakers are just made for shorts.

    Sometimes you have to admit defeat. Basketball sneakers were made to play basketball in, which, ideally, means that you’d wear basketball shorts with them. If all pant options fail, keep the shoes for the hardwood or the summer time.

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