So you want to buy your partner a gift, and you have decided that this year you want to buy them sneakers. So you head over to the From Another sneaker page and wow. There's so much there, and you have no idea what your boo wants. If you're like me, then you believe that presents should be something that the recipient would like to have, but isn't willing to splurge on themselves. This makes a new pair of Sneakers a very good gift! But there's so many styles and types out there, how do you determine which one is perfect? Well luckily we have put together this gift guide to help you figure out what the perfect shoe is for your partner!
Step 1: What Kind of Pants Do They Wear?
This seems like a weird place to start, but just trust me. When you are putting together an outfit, most stylists will tell you the brand of the clothes doesn't matter much, but the silhouette and proportions of the outfit are of most importance. Because of this, when choosing a sneaker for your partner, you have to start with the right type of shoe that will match what they like to wear. Since your shoes go next to your pants when you wear them, the silhouette of the two items should match somewhat. To make this easy, we put together three categories of pants, and the corresponding sneaker styles to go with them. These categories are skinny, straight leg, and baggy.
Skinny Pants
Skinny pants are your classic skinny jean or trouser. These are pretty self explanatory, but have a skin tight look both in the thigh and the calf. These are often cuffed around the ankle as well. We recommend a slim sneaker to go with this like the Nike Dunk low (Make sure it's not the SB version), Jordan 1 Low OG, Jordan 1 High, or the Yeezy 350 for a more fashion forward look.
Straight Leg Pants
Straight Leg pants are kind of like the classic Dad Jeans. They are slim, but not tight in the thigh, and usually a little roomier in the calves, but not baggy. If your partner just wears normal pants, then they're probably wearing a straight leg jeans or trousers. This style of bottoms is pretty universal so most shoes will work here, but there are a few sneakers we suggest to really make them look great. If you want to go full Dad mode (which is kind of in fashion right now) go for the New Balance 990, or the Yeezy 700. Otherwise the Jordan 3, Nike Dunk High, and Nike Blazer are all great options
Baggy Pants
Baggy pants have been making a big resurgence as of late. These are bottoms that either look like they're too big, or just balloon out at the thigh and calves to have a lot of extra material. Because of this, you'll want to find a chunkier shoe that matches the baggyness of the pants. You see lots of skater kids wearing the Polar "Big Boy" jeans, and girls wearing pants that are 4 sizes too big for them with a tight belt. If this sounds like your partner we recommend Jordan 4s, Nike Dunk Low SBs, New Balance 550s, or Nike Air Force 1s.
Step 2: What is their shoe size?
Shoe size is very important obviously. Not only do you need to find the size your partner wears, but different shoes fit differently. Luckily we are experts in this area. First thing you need to do is sneak into their closet and check the shoe size on their current sneakers. The size should be either on the tongue of the shoe, or on the side wall of the sneaker itself. Do not look at the size of dress shoes as they commonly fit up to a full size smaller than sneakers. Now that you have their size, use the size filter on our website to browse the shoes we have available in the correct size. Most sneakers should be "true to size" (meaning they have a standard fit in comparison to other shoes and measurements) except for the following shoes:
- Yeezy 350s fit small, we suggest going up a half or a full size (ex. size 10 should purchase size 10.5 or size 11)
- Crocs fit big, we suggest going a half or a full size down (ex. Size 10 should purchase a size 9.5 or 9)
- Yeezy Foam Rnnrs and Slides only come in full sizes, if you are a half size, we suggest sizing up (ex. Size 9.5 should purchase a 10)
One last thing to note is women's sizing. Women's sizing is a little weird for men to comprehend. We will put a chart below, but anything notated with a W after the size number (ex. 6W, 8.5W, etc.) is a women's size. This is 1.5 sizes smaller than a men's and/or youth size (Youth sizes are notated with a Y after it, ex. 6Y). So if you're shopping for your lady, and she is a 8W, she can also fit into a 6.5, or 6.5Y. So make sure to notate that when you are filtering on the website!
Step 3: What Colour of Shoe?
The last step is possibly the hardest. There are no concrete rules on picking out the colorway that your partner likes. We can make suggestions, but in the end this is a very subjective choice. Luckily if you are purchasing a sneaker as a gift, odds are you know the recipient pretty well, and should have a good idea on what they like. A few things to think about when picking the color:
- What does their typical wardrobe look like? Is it colorful? Is it basic? Monotone? You're going to want to pick something that they can ideally wear often. If they dress with a lot of color, maybe a simple shoe with just black, white, and grey on it would be the perfect compliment to what they wear. Or if they're a jeans and white t-shirt every day kind of person, maybe a bright shoe to liven up their look is a good option.
- Are they particular about their clothing? Do they often step in puddles, and wear the same shoe rain or shine? If they are, we recommend a leather shoe, as it'll hold up better for longer, and develop some character. Otherwise a canvas or suede shoe would be a great option for someone who is not a puddle stepper and careful where they walk.
Hopefully this helps you pick the perfect pair for your partner! Should you have any more questions our staff are always happy to give you advice in-store at either one of our locations in Calgary and Edmonton. Otherwise you can always send us a DM on instagram @fromanother.ca and we'll get back to you as quick as we can. Best of luck!
