Nailing how to style white trainers will revolutionise your wardrobe. One of the most versatile shoe options to invest in, the best white trainers are the perfect option for putting together a smart casual outfit. Delivering a high-low aesthetic with ease, a white trainer is ideal for those who like their footwear to be comfortable, without compromising on low-key polish.
When it comes to comfortable trainers there are heaps of options out there, and while we've certainly seen an increase in colourful trainers as a style statement, if you're looking for a shoe that always performs, doesn't go out of fashion and won't fight against a smart outfit, a pair of stylish white trainers is a no-brainer.
Athleisure and more laidback looks feel instantly more put together with a white trainer, but tailoring, pretty midi dresses and your best jeans gain an air of relaxed-cool with a box fresh pair too. Supremely easy to style, you'll find you'll wear them on repeat once you understand the general outfit build principles. In fact the hardest part is learning how to clean white shoes, more than wearing them.
How to style white trainers
While there are pretty much limitless ways to wear your white trainers, as they work well with trousers, skirts, dresses, or jeans, I'm going to take you on a whistlestop tour of some guiding principles of how to build stylish white trainer outfits with ease. I'll take into consideration some of the most popular white trainer shapes, as the silhouette of your shoe will also play a part in how you style them.
Unlike regular sports trainers, white trainers dance the fine line between a smart shoe and a piece of comfortable, sporty apparel. While the shoe trends used to really focus on heeled styles predominantly, there has definitely been a catwalk shift to flatter styles and trainers in line with consumer tastes. So if you haven't got on the white trainer bandwagon, now is the perfect time.
How to wear white trainers with tailoring
The trick with this combination is to either opt for trousers with a cropped silhouette or designs that finish at the ankle or above. These work particularly well as they do not interfere with the trainer's tongue and avoid the two awkwardly grazing one another. Alternatively, opt for looser and more relaxed trouser fits, such as an on-trend wider leg, that will sit over the tongue of the trainer. While you don't want to step on your hem or drag it in the street, a soft single front pleat fold at the hem is fine.
adidas' Stan Smith is the perfect choice for pairing with tailoring. Dancing the line of sporty trainer and polished shoe perfectly, this highly androgynous silhouette is a classic design that is well-loved on the trainer market. The perforated design and lace-up front even gives a nod to a classic brogue silhouette, while the rounded toe adds to its casual feel. While you can get this with a fully white body, the coloured heel tabs add a nice point of difference. If you want to know more, here is a standalone review of the adidas Stan Smiths.
Grey suits are everywhere at the moment, spotted on everyone from Helen Mirren to Victoria Beckham. If you're investing in a tailored two-piece as an autumn outfit idea this season, then grey is the hue you want to be shopping. This double-breasted design adds a nice contrast to the sporty trainer, and while the blazer smartens up the shoe choice, the trainers add a cooler, more laidback feel to the fussiness of a double-breasted jacket.
As mentioned above, the wide-leg silhouette looks effortless when paired with a trainer, nailing smart casual outfit ideas immediately. If you're heading to the office, try slipping a fitted t-shirt or slim knit under your blazer, tucking in at the waist to continue the more laidback feel that the trainers deliver. Keep your top white to reflect your shoes and pull the whole outfit together with ease. And remember, if you're shortening your trouser leg, think about all the shoes that you might wear with them to get the right height.
How to wear white trainers with dresses
Trainers and dresses are our favourite combo. But if you've always had the mentality that midi dresses or similar need smarter shoes, we get that this new way of styling your trainers can be a bit of a challenge.
Essentially, it's playing on the trend for high/low dressing. That means we're teaming stronger style-led pieces and smarter looks with more pared-back items to nail that smart/casual aesthetic. White trainers were literally made for this fashion moment. If you're just starting with this look, then a tennis-style shoe is the closest to a plimsoll or ballet pump in terms of streamlining and is definitely the best way to dip your toe in the water. These are great for midi, maxi and midaxi styles as they are still pretty elegant.
High-top trainers work best with shorter dresses as they have a sort of ankle boot aesthetic. If you want to go really directional, then invest in a pair of chunky 'dad' trainers. While Balenciaga created one of the leading designer versions, the ready-to-wear market has plenty of more affordable interpretations. To keep these chic, pair with maxi or midaxi dresses.
If you think FitFlop only make sandals, think again. I recently wrote a review of the FitFlop Rally trainers as I was so impressed by both their comfort and style. Easy to wear from the get-go, I needed no wearing-in period, and the light-as-a-feather design really took me by surprise. Much easier to wear than many of my other, more sporty silhouettes, the low profile gave these a ballet pump-like aesthetic, making them ideal for teaming with dresses, and with very discreet branding, they're a little more elevated too.
While I wear white trainers pretty much every day, my favourite way to style them is with a dress. When looking for white trainers to a style with trainers, look for low-profile, tennis-style designs that deliver more of a ballet pump look. Your dress will add polish to your sporty shoe choice, while your trainers will give even the smartest of dresses a more daytime-ready feel. I love leaning into the preppy look of a dress too, and this collared design in navy and red is the perfect way to execute the trend.
It's autumn, so it's trench coat season, and my personal favourite, if Burberry trench coats aren't in your budget, is Hobbs' amazing selection of trench coats. Shower-resistant, I can attest to their powers in a downpour, and this navy iteration not only makes a welcome change from classic beige or black hues, but it will look exceptionally stylish paired with white trainers. Slip it over autumn dresses, team it with jeans and bring it out again for the spring, this is a capsule wardrobe hero buy.
How to wear white trainers with jeans
It may seem like a no-brainer, but as with a pair of suit trousers, don't forget to think about the length of your hem against the tongue of the trainers. While a wide leg design can gently fold over the top of your trainer, if you're opting for a classic, Converse Chuck Taylor All Star Low, for example, the most stylish way to style these white trainers would be to have a little bit of ankle on show.
This just gives every part of your outfit its time to shine. Your jeans get their breathing room, and you won't feel your denim fighting with your trainers with every step.
Another thing to consider when styling white trainers with denim is colour running. Particularly poignant with new jeans, which may not have fully lost their dye yet, any wet weather may cause leftover dye in your jeans to add a rather unwelcome blue tinge to your trainers. So make sure any new jeans have had a good spin in your machine first if the forecast is not looking favourable.
With a skater edge, Converse All Star Low is probably one of the lowest profile white trainers you can get, and it's a great option for pairing with straight, skinny and kick flare jeans. Teamed with wide leg or baggier styles certainly delivers a trending 90s aesthetic, but if you want to keep a little more polish to your look, the more slender denim styles are your best bet. Offering a cool retro finish, this design is the ideal jeans and jumper partner.
A kick-flare jean, in my opinion, is a wildly underrated silhouette. This dreamy denim design is great for petites, nipping at the ankle, and it's perfect with a low-cut trainer such as the low Chuck Taylor All Stars. The gentle flare softly balances hips and nips in the waist, but it's far more subtle than directional wide flared designs. A smart silhouette, this style is great for jeans and blazer combinations too, and you can even style them with ankle boots as the weather dips.
Similar to white trainers, cricket jumpers are the sporty style that doesn't feel too dressed down. This highly classic design is one that you can guarantee won't date, and the timeless colour combo of white and black will pair pretty effortlessly with anything. The slouchy fit balanced the rigidity of the denim, and let's face it, the cosy, oversized style is the snuggly option we want heading into autumn. This jumper, of course, can come back out for spring too.
When it comes to how to style white trainers, hopefully, this snapshot has shown you just how easy they are to work into existing outfit combinations, and how they can actually make smarter pieces, such as blazers and tailored trousers more wearable for everyday.
Giving everything their paired with a stylish, but casual spin, there is a reason that the white trainer remains the shoe choice of many, defying trends each season. A backbone of a shoe capsule wardrobe, if you find ballet pumps don't offer enough support, a low profile, slimline white trainer could be the answer you've been looking for - try the amazing new sneakerina by Vivaia that embodies this aesthetic.
A genre all of its own, a white trainer comes in many guises and it's key to not only find the silhouette you love, but one that works with multiple different pieces in your wardrobe, and think about how the shape of the shoe will interact with items to get maximum wear out of this timeless design.
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