The Best Suit with Sneaker Pairings for Grooms and Guests

Maybe your rotation of Air Jordans is the centerpiece of your wardrobe or perhaps you're just looking to eschew tradition and walk down the aisle in footwear more comfortable than your standard pair of dress shoes. Whatever your reason, pairing a suit with sneakers at a wedding is an increasingly popular sartorial swerve, especially at semi-formal and casual weddings. The sneaker scene has blown up in a big way over the last decade thanks to apps like SNKRS and CONFIRMED as well as resale platforms like StockX making hot kicks easier than ever to add to your footwear lineup. When you pair that with an increase in the popularity of wedding dress codes that skew slightly more informal than traditional black-tie affairs, you've got a trend on your hands.

Wearing a suit with sneakers comes down to how you pair the two together. Certain sneakers are going to look better with specific suit cuts, colors, and styles. Whether you've got your suit picked out and are looking for a good pair of kicks to wear with it or you're trying to build your wedding fit around your favorite pair of Jordans, you've come to the right place.

In this article:

• Can You Wear a Wedding Suit With Sneakers?
• Sleek Suit With Sneakers Combos for Weddings
• Tips for Choosing Sneakers to Wear with Suits

Can You Wear a Wedding Suit With Sneakers?

Whether or not you can wear a suit with sneakers to a wedding largely comes down to whether you're the one getting married. If you're the groom and you feel like pairing your tux with your favorite hooper's signature shoe or a fresh pair of Air Maxes, that's your prerogative. I'd personally advise going with a pair in good condition, if not one fresh out of the box (lacing up a pristine pair of Air Jordans for the first time on your wedding day can be a special thing). Try not to go with a pair that's been pretty well-worn–that's not going to look great with your wedding suit.

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If you're a guest, you should probably shy away from wearing a suit with sneakers unless you've been explicitly told that it's okay to do so. Dressy casual is usually the only dress code for which sneakers are appropriate but that's also going to be a dress code that doesn't have you wearing a suit. In other cases, leave the sneakers to the groom (and groomsmen if they're going for a coordinated look) and stick with dress shoes or loafers.

Sleek Suit With Sneakers Combos for Weddings

Sometimes the question isn't whether you wear a suit with sneakers so much as which suit you should wear with which sneakers. On that front, I've got you covered. These are some of my favorite pairing options for wearing a wedding suit with sneakers. Use them as inspiration for your own fit or go the foolproof route and click Buy Now.

The Best Overall Sneaker to Wear With Suits: Nike Dunk

Photo: Nike

When in doubt, go with a pair of Dunks. The Nike Dunk is a shoe that exploded in popularity when the brand brought it back in 2020, quickly establishing itself as the sort of easy, approachable sneaker that never should have gone away in the first place. These days they're available in every conceivable color you can imagine, from a simple black and white colorway (Pandas, as they're known) to ones that pay homage to collegiate and professional sports teams alike, including the University of Michigan and the Los Angeles Lakers (among others). This accessibility and ease with which you can style them make them great for individual wedding fits or wedding parties looking to coordinate (it'll be easy to find a pair in everyone's size without paying crazy resale prices as you might with matching Air Jordans). They're the perfect sneaker to pair with a suit and come in a wide enough variety of colors that you'll have no trouble picking out a color that works with whatever it is you're wearing to your wedding.

Air Jordan 11 with Tuxedos

Suit: The Black Tux,Shoes: StockX

If you're wearing sneakers with a tux, wear the Air Jordan 11. It's the consensus best Jordan design of all time, with its signature patent leather stripe perfect for pairing with a classic tuxedo like this one from The Black Tux. The shoe is available in a ton of iconic colorways but I'm inclined to recommend 2020's black-on-black 'Jubilee' edition, which was launched to celebrate the shoe's 25th anniversary.

Converse Chuck Taylors with Black Suits

Suit: Bonobos,Shoes: Converse

There's something undeniably cool about a simple black suit, especially if you pair it with a white shirt and a black tie. The difference between looking like you're going to a funeral and looking like you're wandering from cafe to cafe on the streets of some exciting European city can come down to footwear–so lace up a pair of classic black Converse Chuck Taylors with this perfect Bonobos Jetsetter suit in black and capture that vibe.

Adidas Sambas with a Tan Suit

Suit: Suitsupply,Shoes: Adidas

Tan suits, to me at least, can have a laid-back vintage feel to them. Bring that energy out of this SuitShop suit by styling it with a pair of trendy Adidas Sambas. A laid-back suit calls for a laid-back shoe like this low-top classic.

Jordan OG by Melody Ehsani with a Femme Suit

Suit: Wildfang,Shoes: StockX

We're all about suiting that smashes the borders of gender and there's no reason you can't do that while also pairing a suit with a pair of dope kicks. These Jordan OGs were designed by women's streetwear extraordinaire Melody Ehsani and the chunky black and red shoes are the perfect fashion flex for a wedding fit. It accents Wildfang's tux blazer perfectly.

New Balance 990 with a Navy Suit

Suit: J.Crew,Shoes: New Balance

The New Balance 990 (specifically in grey) has long been the epitome of the Dad Shoe. It's comfy, it looks great, and you can beat your pair up for years and they'll only look better for it. If you want to walk down the aisle (or to your seat) in the kind of comfort only those signature New Balance orthopedic inserts can provide, wear your 990s with a suit that accompanies their vibe. A navy blazer (I'm partial to this one from J. Crew) worn with khakis or chinos is the perfect Dad Suit for these Dad Shoes, at once channeling old-school Ivy and "dropping the kids off at school before work" vibes.

Vans SK8-Hi with a Gray Suit

Suit: Spier & MacKay,Shoes: ASOS

Gray suits are neutral and can make for a great opportunity to stunt with a really loud sneaker, but if you're looking to keep it simple, stick with a classic. A pair of Vans SK8-His in black will bring a cool, quirky touch to a gray suit like this one from Spier & MacKay.

adidas Samba by Wales Bonner with a Burgundy Suit

Suit: Indochino,Shoes: StockX

Burgundy suits are a pretty bold move as it stands (but definitely one I'd encourage you to try out–go to Indochino for a made-to-measure one). Pairing one with sneakers is even bolder–but again, it's a look worth going for. If you're going to do it, do it in a big way with a pair of Sambas designed by one of the hottest names in fashion: Wales Bonner.

Tips for Choosing Sneakers to Wear with Suits

Wearing sneakers with a wedding suit is easier than you'd think, but you still want to make sure you're doing your due diligence when putting the fit together. Whether you're looking to wear a casual wedding suit with sneakers or something a little bit more formal, here's everything you need to know about wearing sneakers to a wedding.

Which dress code permits sneakers at weddings?

Technically very few dress codes permit sneakers to be worn. You may be able to get away with it at a dressy casual or destination wedding but that's probably it. That said, if suits with sneakers are allowed at a wedding, it'll likely be the mandate of the couple, not the dress code. If there's a note on the invitation or the wedding website stating that sneakers are allowed or encouraged, that's the permission you need.

Can you wear sneakers with a groomsman suit?

That's not a decision the groomsman gets to make. You'll need to consult with the groom regarding what it is you and your fellow groomsmen will be wearing for the ceremony. Matching groomsman sneakers could make for great photos and a great look on the day of the wedding, but it's ultimately up to the person who's actually getting married.

How do I pick a pair of sneakers to wear with a suit?

The most important thing to consider when making this decision is that wearing a suit with sneakers is already a display of personal style. In terms of what kind of shoe to wear, don't overthink it–if you're someone who wears Chuck Taylors every single day, that's what you should lace up with your suit (albeit a fresh pair rather than a beat-up one). And if you're the sort of person who has a closet full of Air Jordan boxes, lean into that! There are plenty of Jordans that pair well with suits.

What you want to take into consideration is color and specifically making sure your shoes will match your suit. If you're wearing a neutral suit like black, navy, beige, or grey, you'll have a lot of freedom in terms of the color of your shoes. If your suit is on the louder side or in a more distinct color like green, red, or purple, going with a more neutral sneaker may be the right move (or just lean in and wear sneakers that are the same color).

Can you change into sneakers at a wedding reception?

This is pretty common, especially for those at the wedding who show up in heels–it's hard to dance the night away in those. Wear kicks that are comfortable and have plenty of support (you'll need it on the dance floor).

As always, check with the couple before making this decision. That said, there's a pretty good chance they'll be fine with it. Honestly, it's a move I recommend–when I served as best man at my friend's wedding I forgot to bring my trusty New Balance 990s to the venue and came to regret it. After a long night of dancing (hard) in brown dress shoes, my shins weren't too happy with me in the morning.