Can You Wear High Tops With Shorts? Rules To Follow!

We are quite sure you have asked or been asked this question: Can you wear high tops with shorts?

Both styles look so youthful and energetic but high-top sneakers have a sporty vibe while shorts are always considered too casual.

How do we balance them and make them work?

Can You Wear High Tops Sneakers With Shorts?

There is no rule saying that you cannot wear high tops with shorts, so you are free to wear anything you please.

But knowing how to style them would give you a more presentable and stylish appearance.

However, high tops have perks and disadvantages alike, hence we have to exploit the good and suppress the bad.

For example, these shoes cover a bit of your legs and thus need to be paired with clothes that flatter and elongate the figure. Another matter is colors, for shorts and shoes of the same shades might not create a strong visual effect.

Let’s dive further into the tips and learn how to apply them to your outfits correctly.

How To Wear High Tops With Shorts?

High-waisted Shorts

High-waisted shorts are the go-to choice when you try to put high-top shoes and shorts together.

Gone were the days when the high-waisted look was considered a look for middle-aged women. It is officially back as a bomb of retro outfits.

If you need something to elongate your legs and make your body seem more slender, high-waisted pants do it better than anything else.

For this reason alone, the look should be honored and marked as an icon already.

Shorts with Fitted Cuts

Let’s be real: Loose or oversized shorts will not enhance your overall stature. Leave the colors and materials for later, your shorts to go with high-top sneakers should be fitted first.

A fitted pair of shorts spares plenty of room for creativity when you style your upper half. A large sweatshirt, for example, gives you a relaxed look and commends the length of your legs at the same time. Imagine you and your lover wearing a set of couple sweatshirts with high-top shoes, truly standing out from the crowd!

Walking shorts, Bermuda shorts, or chino shorts, you have various choices as long as you remember to get the fitted ones only.

Check more: What Shoes To Wear With Chinos?

Dressy or Sporty Shorts

The rule goes quite easy to understand: if your sneakers are thick and firm, they look better with sporty shorts – otherwise, dressy shorts are for thinner shoes.

We can take a look at running shorts, which are much more fashionable than you might think.

The mid-thigh length allows us to not necessarily worry about losing some height. Hence, they work well with sporty footwear like Adidas and New Balance.

On the other hand, for workplaces or dates, you would want to adorn something less casual like pleated shorts.

Truthfully, high tops are not the best choice here, though you can still fix it with blazers and button-downs, and dressier sneakers such as Rick Owens or Converse Chucks.

Shorts & Shoes Contrast

Ton-sur-ton is quite challenging to pull off regarding high tops and shorts. Since your pants are closer to your shoes than your shirts, their having the same shade would result in a lack of balance.

Therefore, don’t hesitate to play with the contrast here!

Black & white, brown & cream, or one color group with highly different hues are some suggestions you can consider.

Shorts & Shirts Match

Your shorts should have a nice contrast with your shoes, yet your shirts don’t follow this rule. They should have a connection with the footwear, perhaps a similar pattern or an identical color.

With that said, your upper piece doesn’t have to be one plain color. You can play with the prints or the shades, as long as these details are not absent from your sneakers.

Clean Shoes

It works for any shoes you own, to be honest. If you are trying to mix and match your clothes, a stain on your footwear would stick out like a sore thumb.

The most demanding material with sneakers might be leather.

Regardless of the colors, you usually need a specific cleaner to maintain the shiny and polished look. Meanwhile, canvas is something you can wash and dry with machines without being afraid of ruining it.

Exceptions For High Tops With Shorts

Now you have known essential principles to make high tops look good with shorts. However, everything has an exception.

First of all, mid-waisted shorts are pretty much acceptable. It is not as flattering as the high-waisted look, of course, but you can easily fix it with a fitted shirt. A relaxed shirt will make your figure even shorter, so it will never be good with low-cut pants.

We consider skorts too because they are a combination of shorts and skirts. Nonetheless, skorts appear as skirts when people look at you, hence you need to treat them as skirts.

Shorter women need minimum midi-length to elongate their silhouette, while tall women don’t need to care about the length.

Things To Try!

A Casual Long Sleeve

A casual top is a good match for fitted shorts, and you absolutely can indulge in long sleeves for an autumn look.

Get yourself ready by tucking the shirt in and securing your shorts with a cool leather belt.

A Long Cardigan

If you have chosen a fitted crop top and low-cut shorts, a cardigan running longer than your knees would be a reliable addition to your health. They also make your steps more smooth and shield you from possible cold winds.

A Ton-sur-ton Set

If you have met all the conditions about the elongation of your body, you can think about all-black or all-white sets.

However, you will need some bold streaks of colors on your clothes, or the overall impression will be rather dull!

A Gingham Shirt

Another great way to deal with the middle or low waist of your shorts is getting a tank top and a blouse before tying a nice knot with the flaps. It gives you a strong vibe and enhances your height a bit.

A White Shirt

It can be an oversized blouse, a crochet top, or a long sleeve – all of them pair well with denim shorts and give you a touch of elegance.

Wearing them with white shoes is almost sure to make you stand out everywhere you go.

A Denim Jacket

The common blue denim works, though grey and black denim are undeniably cool when you style them with shirts and shorts of lighter colors. They are impressive enough without turning your OOTD into a cowboy set.

Final Words

So, it’s alright to wear high tops with shorts!

But you need to be clever when styling them with other pieces of clothing because the key to succeeding with this look is making yourself look taller.

Knowing when to play with color contrasts or harmonies in your outfit will be helpful too!