Pumped Up Kicks

pumpedupkicks_1 I must admit, I never thought I'd be the type of girl to wear sneakers outside of the gym or off the running track, but if there's one thing that I've learned when it comes to personal style, never say never. Over the past few seasons, we've been seeing sneakers pop up on our favourite street style blogs more and more, integrated into stylish outfits, making their way onto our inspiration boards and as the subject of "how to wear..." articles. I've long been a fan of the classic Converse, loving the contrast of styling them with a flirty summer dress, or the comfort and ease of pairing them with perfectly worked in boyfriend jeans and a simple tee for a weekend of errand-running. But when it comes to sportier shoes, though I have appreciated many a stylish sneaker on other women, I've always dismissed them as functional only when it comes to my own wardrobe.

This past week, that all changed, and I finally understood the sneaker obsession.

I guess with all of the Nike stuff I've been involved with recently, it really doesn't come as much of a surprise that athletic wear has become a much more important category in my closet. A couple of Mondays ago, Nike surprised our Rainbow Run Club with the Roshe Flyknits, and the pretty little rainbow sneakers quickly made their way into my daily rotation. It started with walks in the park and running errands (you know, the more practical activities, where comfortable shoes are most welcome), but then I found myself styling them to wear in the "real world." And now? They're probably my most worn shoe in the past week.

I've kept the styling pretty simple, preferring them paired with black denim, a striped or graphic tee and my cargo jacket, but now that I've come this far, I'm planning on challenging myself to try them dressed up a little more, perhaps with a little black dress.

See? You just never know.