The Wall Street Journal, trying to beef up it's men's style section has been in the throes of an IGent takeover. There are many humorous columns to cite  but this one takes the cake, a woman offering advice to a man on how to dress- high priced sneakers. The question itself is worthy of SF, but asking a woman and then taking her advice to wear expensive sneakers reaches a new threshold in modern man's descent into the mud. Release your inner clown and satisfy your woman with zippers, fur, and metallic suede.


Q:It seems like every middle-aged guy has caught on to wearing a leather jacket, so when I wear mine, I just look like everybody else. I’m in dark jeans and sweaters most of the time, sometimes with a sport coat. What else should I add to enliven my wardrobe?

—C.N., Providence, R.I.

A:A guy’s wardrobe, by its very nature, is all basics: a narrow range of pants, shirts, sweaters and jackets in silhouettes with real staying power. So that means men who want to look au courant must zero in on nuances like accessories—scarves, hats, sunglasses, watches and, most of all, shoes. Attention, mature men, the trimmings are there for you too!

Let’s zero in on the coolest footwear—not necessarily boots or driving loafers but a pair of upscale, high-top designer sneakers. I have noticed they make mature men look terrific. Designer Ralph Lauren, who takes his natty, casual look seriously, always wears a pair of snazzy sneakers when he takes his runway bow.

I got further validation from Robert Verdi, Hollywood stylist and sneaker aficionado, whose closet bulges with more than 100 styles of mostly designer sneakers costing from $200 to more than $1,000. Mr. Verdi, 46, says more than anything else, his casually unlaced high-tops give him a youthful edge.

“A classic navy blazer and dark-washed Levis and loafers look great and youthful when you are 23,” Mr. Verdi says. “But when you’re older you just look like a professor. Nothing says Early Bird Special like a loafer.”

Mr. Verdi goes for the avant-garde styling of designer sneakers with thick white soles, futuristic trims with zippers, fur, metallic suedes and snakeskin from brands like Pierre Hardy, Saint Laurent, Christian Louboutin and Alejandro Ingelmo. He leaves them unlaced—a streetwear affectation.

The difference between designer high-tops and athletic-shoe brands is that with the former, “you don’t have to look like you’re pretending to play basketball,” he says.

“For a middle-aged guy, sneakers are definitely the easiest thing to wear, even with a tuxedo,” he adds.