• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • We would like to welcome House of Huntington as an official Affiliate Vendor. Shop past season Drake's, Nigel Cabourn, Private White V.C. and other menswear luxury brands at exceptional prices below retail. Please visit the Houise of Huntington thread and welcome them to the forum.

  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

At what age should one stop wearing...

Britalian

Distinguished Member
Joined
Jul 2, 2006
Messages
2,538
Reaction score
45
...sneakers/trainers/tackies/?

I remember reading a feature a while back by a 'distinguished' fashion/style commentator saying that men should never be seen (sic) in trainers after a certain age. Opinions.

'Sneakers' (chiefly US and often referred to as the same by Euro-style followers, boutiques etc) - suggesting something illicit, shadowy...: sneaking around ?

'Trainers' - (chiefly UK, I believe: suggesting used for sports practice, active participation etc (just what I think when I see some twenty stone burger-muncher waddling into the nearest pie shop..
lookaround.gif
.))

'Tackies' - (Chiefly S.Africa (?), for the sound they make when walking on polished floors etc (?))

other names for this footwear?

& opinions on other clothing age limits? Hoodies, cargoes, et al...
 

kronik

Distinguished Member
Joined
May 2, 2006
Messages
3,905
Reaction score
8
At whatever age they look old and out of place wearing the aforementioned items.
laugh.gif


If you're 35 and you look 25, I see no issue wearing these things. If you're 30 and you look 40, wear loafers.

I'm 25 myself, and I look 21.. then again, I've never been into sneakers - just trying to get into them now.. gotta wear something with all this raw denim this board has gotten me into.
 

DNW

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
9,976
Reaction score
6
One should never stop wearing sneakers. However, they are appropriate at some places and not at others.
 

globetrotter

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Sep 28, 2004
Messages
20,341
Reaction score
422
I only wear sneakers when I am excersizing, and I don't wear jeans. not a hard rule, just not for me. I do wear shorts and sandals on the weekend, though
 

Soph

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 10, 2006
Messages
4,006
Reaction score
13
How can you not wear sneakers, unless you don't workout, and in that is the problem.
 

designprofessor

Distinguished Member
Joined
Apr 14, 2006
Messages
2,412
Reaction score
8
I cant stand the look of a training shoe on my feet if I'm not working out. I'll wear them if I'm going to do alot of walking somewhere on vacation, but even then not a given.
This is where a good pair of suede ankleboots comes in, comfortable and casual. So it wasn't an age thing for me- the tennis shoes were out a long time ago.
 

Vintage Gent

Distinguished Member
Joined
Mar 12, 2003
Messages
2,724
Reaction score
31
Around the time of my mid-20s I stopped wearing excercise shoes for anything but exercise. More so than almost anything else, the ubiquity of athetic shoes is an emblem of the declining standards of dress in our age.
 

Get Smart

Don't Crink
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
12,102
Reaction score
271
It's a case by case basis. Some guys in their 30s-40s, maybe even 50s keep their trim shape and youthful vigor, so he looks good in trainers for a casual alternative. Other guys hit the wall at 25 and for them, I am sorry.
 

minimal

Senior Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2004
Messages
312
Reaction score
1
In a lot of the design magazines, I see quite a few older European men (primarily Italians, age 40-60) in this trade wearing sport jackets and trainers. Yes, they are upscale trainers, like certain refined Prada numbers, but trainers nonetheless.

It looks great.

For some reason I can't seem to make it work as well on me. Damn that nonchalance gene!
 

Joffrey

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Jun 18, 2006
Messages
12,309
Reaction score
1,555
Back in college I stopped wearing sneakers with my clothes cause I felt it looked goofy (Imagine: big freaky basketball shoes or running shoes with jeans or shorts or whatever - I didn't do it for me). However a few years ago (still in college) I got into the sleeker diesel/puma type sneakers and I went out and bought a pair of all white addidas kicks. I rarely rare them but I like them and they do hae their place.

Otherwise, sneakers only for excersicing
 

GQgeek

Stylish Dinosaur
Joined
Mar 4, 2002
Messages
16,568
Reaction score
84
Originally Posted by Vintage Gent
Around the time of my mid-20s I stopped wearing excercise shoes for anything but exercise. More so than almost anything else, the ubiquity of athetic shoes is an emblem of the declining standards of dress in our age.

I totally agree. Of course there are other things which are just as bad as trainers.
 

Get Smart

Don't Crink
Joined
Oct 27, 2004
Messages
12,102
Reaction score
271
Originally Posted by LA Guy
The decline?

Did I just log into AAAC by mistake
crazy.gif


lol, that was the first thing I thought too.

are the "men over 30 shouldnt wear jeans" threads far behind???
 

zjpj83

Distinguished Member
Joined
Oct 25, 2004
Messages
9,425
Reaction score
28
never
though one can look like one is trying to hard
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 55 35.5%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 60 38.7%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 17 11.0%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 27 17.4%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 28 18.1%

Forum statistics

Threads
505,182
Messages
10,579,221
Members
223,891
Latest member
Barrybgarcia
Top