My goal this year was to stop overthinking my outfits – to follow my intuition for how to style something vs making it more complicated than it needs to be for the sake of standing out. Sneakers used to be an easy styling piece for me: comfortable, friendly, unassuming. But somewhere along the way, I forgot how to let them exist as their own statement piece. Sneakers are strong enough to build an outfit around, especially the new Nike Air Max Dn8, the brand’s latest iteration of the classic Air Max with bold colourways and a fluid futuristic silhouette. 

When it comes to styling sneakers, I now aim for cohesion instead of complications. I’ve always believed that the way you style a piece is what creates individuality, but I’ve realised that things can stand on their own and still be interesting. Just because the frills are gone doesn’t mean the personality is. Ahead, here’s how I’m styling the new Nike Air Max Dn8.

Fleece²

I love pairing grey and white together. I love wearing double fleece (that’s not a sweatsuit) together even more. Fleece is a texture that can quickly become too informal, but when worn in the right silhouettes, it adds just the right amount of casualness – especially to an outfit that feels too dressed up. It’s the ultimate hack for the dilemma of wanting to look like you just threw something together without trying but still wanting to look cute. Combining the silver Nike Air Max Dn8 sneakers with a gigantic fluffy white fleece bubble skirt balances this look so that it all feels intentional.

Cherry red 

One of my favorite colours is a bright true red: it’s bold, eye-catching and looks amazing with my complexion. It’s also surprisingly easy to build fun colour combinations with. I chose to style my cherry red Nike Air Max Dn8 sneakers with a navy blue Nike track jacket, my vintage Commes des Garcons pleated silk skirt and red knee high socks. The bottom half of my outfit is bold and true-to-me, while the upper half tones it down and makes it more of a realistic, everyday look. 

Sliver of silver 

Black is a colour that has become synonymous with effortlessly chic, but it has always taken me so much effort. I really struggle with figuring out how to wear black. For me, it can overpower the outfit and make every other colour extremely contrasted. This is my best attempt at head-to-toe black, with a hint of silver thanks to my Nike Air Max Dn8 sneakers, which soften the look.

Simple suede

Taking notes from what I said before about keeping things simple, this is my iteration of an easy weekend outfit for meeting up with friends and running my little errands. My weekend outfits are built for comfort, so I rarely wear anything other than sneakers. These Nike Air Max Dn8 sneakers are perfect for running around the city while still feeling like my style is being reflected. Sweatpants are what I’ll automatically lean towards, but if I want to play a little bit more with my outfit, I’ll wear a pair of Nike track pants with a vintage suede jacket for a clash of textures. That’s the extent of my weekend brain’s creativity.

The zip hoodie

We used to fixate on how to dress up denim, and now we obsess over dressing things down and making our fancy clothing more suitable for everyday wear. Enter: the zip hoodie. It unquestionably sends the message that I’m going for relaxed and informal. I especially love this Nike terry hoodie with a fancy skirt and the Nike Air Max Dn8 that also toe the line between athletic and streetwear – it’s the perfect clash.