Style

10 Sneakers Worthy of a Tuxedo

There was once a time when the only shoes to wear with a tuxedo were stiff, shiny, patent leather lace-ups. In 2015, thanks to the perpetual casual-ization of menswear and the rise of the high-fashion sneaker, the two can now work effortlessly together. We say can, because only certain kinds of sneakers work. (Please don’t be the guy upstaging the bride at a wedding with your new neon marathon trainers.) If you want to do it right, here are 10 tux-ready kicks we stand behind.

All products featured on GQ are independently selected by our editors. However, we may receive compensation from retailers and/or from purchases of products through these links.

  • This image may contain Clothing Footwear Apparel Shoe and Sneaker
    1/10

    Common Projects Achilles

    The original “designer minimalist sneaker” remains one of the best formalwear sneaker pairings on the market today.

  • 2/10

    Tom Ford Running Sneakers

    If your friends say you can never pull off sneakers with a tux, then show them this picture. If they ask who Tom Ford is, then ask yourself why this person is your friend.

  • 3/10

    Acne Adrian Black

    For the man wearing sneakers with a tux who doesn’t want to get caught.

  • 4/10

    Raf Simons Stan Smith

    Your mass-market Stan Smiths are good for any day of the week—but these ultra-luxe Raf Simons versions should be brought out on special occasions

  • 5/10

    Want Essentials Lloyd Sneakrrs

    Want Les Essentials de la Vie is known for its minimalist bags, and now they’ve brought that same level of elegance to the world of casual footwear.

  • 6/10

    Nike Air Force 1

    Even if you’re headed to a party downtown, you can never go wrong with a pair of uptowns.

  • 9/10

    Chuck Taylor 2 Hi-Top

    The OG Chucks are still one of the best sneakers ever for jeans, but the more refined IIs are updated with a cushy insole (perfect for cutting up a dance floor).

  • 10/10

    Common Projects Tournament High Sneakers

    While we love the everyman-ness of canvas Chuck Taylors, on a tuxedo night it’s hard to argue with Italian leather.

Jake Woolf is a writer who has covered men’s style for over ten years and has contributed to GQ since 2014. A graduate of Parsons The New School for Design (good school, long name), he also has bylines at Robb Report, HighSnobiety, Pitchfork, and the defunct #menswear website Four Pins ... Read more
Writer
Related Stories for GQSneakersTuxedosSuits