How to wear basketball shoes with shorts
In this article, I am going to explain the different ways that you can wear your basketball shoes with shorts.
There are a ton of reasons for wearing your basketball shoes with shorts. From staying away from too much exposure below the knee, to having a comfortable and natural feel on your feet when you play basketball or do anything else athletic in your gym shoes.
I have provided 4 different ways how to wear Basketball Shoes With Shorts, including two variations on each style – A “Classic” style and a modern (or more updated) version that might better represent what many young people like to wear nowadays.
The Classic / Traditional Way:
This is the classic way of wearing your sneakers with shorts – Your shorts go all the way down to your ankles, and they are both the same colour.
Whether they’re long basketball shorts or summer/warm weather cargo shorts you can wear any old pair of sneakers with them.
This is a very versatile way to wear your shoes because it allows for the most different kinds of outfits to be created.
With this style, you can also sub in amp-soled kicks if you want, but most people stick to basic low-top sneakers like Converse Chuck Taylors or Nike Cortez or Blazers or another type of shoe that will go well with their attire/freestyle.
These shoes all feature vulcanized rubber soles, which will provide more traction on wood and tile floors than smooth leather would otherwise allow.
The only downside to this style is that it doesn’t allow you to wear socks with your basketball shoes, which many people find more comfortable.
The Modern / Updated Way
In this modernized version of wearing sneakers with shorts, the same rules apply as in the traditional method — The shorts come down all the way to your ankles and they are both the same colour – But instead of a traditional pair of long athletic shorts or cargo shorts, now we’re going for a classic “bike short” look – These include workout pants like Champion sweats or classic plain cotton sweatpants.
Another neat thing about this style is that it allows you to showcase an awesome patterned sock if you want.
If you’re wearing striped shorts, then match them up with the same pattern of socks to make it look like you’re wearing knee-high athletic socks.
If you don’t want to wear socks (or if the weather is really warm) then no worries, just go with plain white or black sneakers/shoes and it will still be considered cool in this modernized version of this style.
The downside is that not everyone has access to bike shorts or bicycle pants (I know I don’t).
There are other ways to get a similar look though – The picture below shows how you can replicate this look by simply pairing up your basic coloured basketball shorts with some plain cotton sweatpants in either grey, navy blue, forest green, or another dark colour.
This way is much more available at local stores when compared to other options.
With the pants, it’s very important that you make sure they go all the way down to your ankles and that they aren’t cut off above your calves, or else it will look less like bike shorts and more like traditional basketball shorts (which is not as cool).
They can be a little baggier than what most cyclists would prefer, but this style is meant for basketball players who may need extra room for their thighs and butt.
If you want an even “cooler” option (or if you don’t have access to bike shorts either), then another option is to simply wear whatever type of long athletic shorts you like with a pair of plain white socks pulled up high so that the only things showing are the toes and heel of your shoes, all the way up to your knees.
Again, if you have a dark-coloured pair of athletic shorts then this look might be best with a white or black sneaker so that it doesn’t look like a traditional basketball uniform.
If these “elongated” stirrup socks are desired for this style, don’t forget to also purchase some low-top sneakers/tennis shoes because most people don’t want to wear high-tops with basketball shorts – It just looks too much like a traditional basketball uniform.
Also, make sure that the pants go down to your ankles… going above them will mess up the flow/aesthetic of wearing basketball shorts with something else.
This is not as much a “style” as it is a “vision,” but you can simply opt to wear whatever type of shirt you’re wearing underneath your jersey.
And on that note, certain players have been doing this for years with their jersey or team-issued shirt under their basketball shorts without anyone thinking much about it.
Mad props go out to the Detroit Pistons’ Brandon Knight and the Los Angeles Clippers Jamal Crawford for always going above and beyond in the fashion department.
They’ll be two of my fashion inspirations if I ever make it to the NBA 🙂
Conclusion:
For a casual, yet professional look I like to pair my basketball shoes with shorts.
This combo is perfect for people who don’t want to wear dress pants but still need to be dressed up for work or an event.
It’s also great when you’re travelling and want something more comfortable than sneakers!
To add some colour to the outfit try adding in a nice shirt and tie combination. One of my favourites is pairing navy blue shorts with white kicks and then wearing a light pink shirt that features small green stripes on it.
You’ll stay cool while looking sharp!
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