I Let My Wife Pick My New Pair of Nikes. Here’s What Happened.

I call her Kwell. Pronounced Kay-Well. She’s a visual designer for a major women’s fashion brand. She’s also my wife, who lovingly agreed to pick and style my next pair of shoes. The only rule? I had zero say in the matter. Whatever she picked, I’d wear.

She went with the Nike Juniper Trail 2 GORE-TEX Men’s Waterproof Trail Running Shoes.

Would I have chosen these? No. Nothing against them. But I’m not a trail runner. And I didn’t know what GORE-TEX meant. “You’re not buying the name,” Kwell said. “You’re buying the product.” Also, I had no idea how to style them. “Yeah, I know,” she replied. “I’ll take care of that.”

Most days, I’m in a relaxed Oxford and casual pants. I’m wearing loafers if it’s dry, boots if it’s not. So when she told me to throw on the new sneakers to go grab a cookie, I hesitated.

“Just put a hat on,” she said. “You’ll see.” I saw. It worked. Really well. It even started to sprinkle on our dessert errand, and I found myself hoping it’d pour.

I know what GORE-TEX means now. It means: Don’t stress about the weather. These can handle it.

Happy hour is happier on a rooftop this time of year. “Do sneakers belong at such an occasion?” I wondered on the elevator up.

Turns out, yes. Especially if you’re wearing high-waisted linen trousers and a lightweight jacket. When you’re done hitting the trail in these sneakers, they transition easily to the post-adventure wine-down. The color and silhouette sold me. Right out of the box, they feel broken-in. The upper is durable, yet soft and unstructured. The shape folds into your foot in a way that looks understated, not clunky. And the green? It’s subtle but sharp. Just enough color to punch up a muted outfit. Which most of mine are.

These sneakers don’t just match your look. They enhance it.

She knows me. She knows me well. She knows when I need an iced coffee and an easy outfit for bopping around town. Casual shorts. A vintage tee (tuck it for a longer leg line). A soft, worn-in button-up. Done. Kwell once told me, “Fashion is what you buy. Style is how you wear it.” This outfit reminded me of that.

“My wife has great taste,” said every straight guy, ever.

My advice? Stop saying it. Start showing it. Let her help. You can start with my wife’s pick.