Shoes Every Athlete Needs: STACK Magazine - Exercises, Training, Nutrition, High School Athletes

San Diego Chargers star wide receiver Chris Chambers said it best: “If I don’t look good, I don’t play good.”

From your head to your feet, both on the playing field and off, you need to look put together, like you mean business. Not only will looking polished help college coaches and scouts take you seriously, it will make you feel ready to take on any part of the recruiting process.

Dress shoes are a must, especially a pair that can work with jeans, khakis or a suit. You don’t need to look like you’re heading to the office, so pick a pair that suits your
style and age. Skechers Genesis Footloose in brown, $74, skechers.com

White-on-whites are a necessity. You can wear them with almost anything, as long as you keep them perfectly clean. You can’t go wrong with the K-Swiss Classic Luxury, $65, kswiss.com

Every athlete needs a good pair of training shoes. Under Armour has designed a series of trainers to support specific training movements—speed, agility and power. UA Men’s Proto Power Trainer, $100,
underarmour.com

Casual boots: a good fallback option when you aren’t sure what kicks to wear. Try Timberland’s Rugged Street II Chukka, $85, timberland.com

Add some flavor to your shoe collection with colorful sneakers. If you don’t like what you find in stores, customize your own at nike.com. Nike Air Flight 89, $94

When you’re dressed up, always remember that your socks should be an extension of your pants. For example: if you’ve got on black pants, choose black socks. For training sessions and games, wear socks that wick sweat from your feet to prevent blisters. Left to Right: Calvin Klein Ultra Fit Socks, $12, calvinklein.com // Nike Shox Cushioned No Show Socks, $8, nike.com

Two rules for belts, both of which apply only if you’re on official business [e.g. meeting a coach, accepting an award]. 1. Match your belt to your shoes. 2. Keep it simple [in other words, no diamond-encrusted buckles]. Make it easy on yourself, and find a dressy belt that features both brown and black leather, like the Fossil belt pictured. Have fun with this accessory otherwise.

Left to right: Phat Farm with Fleur De Lis, $30, phatfarm.com // American Eagle Standard & Tradition, $19.50, ae.com // Fossil Hamilton, $30, fossil.com // Quiksilver Mantra, $26, quiksilver.com