Sneakers are perhaps the one accessory that guys actually care about, even if you follow the old cliché that they don’t care about fashion. Sneakers can show a lot about a person – like what kind of music they listen to or if they are into sports. No matter how much you care about style or fashion, the sneaker world is vast, and there’s something out there for everyone.

At the forefront of the leather and suede brigade sits the king of the sneaker world, Nike. When looking for some fresh kicks, most people look for a clean pair of Nikes, and they make a pair for just about everybody. If you don’t really care that much about your footwear, but still want to look good, buy Nike Air Max sneakers (above). The Air Max brand, for the most part, is similar to the Air Max 90, a cross training shoe, that has a casual, classic look. The Air Max also works in vibrant, extreme colors or simple grays and whites.

Perhaps due to the success of the SB line, other skateboarding shoes have also become popular. Lakai, Emerica and the ever-classic Vans all garner respect from fellow shoe people. This skateboarding fashion wave has created an enormous group of gangly 20-somethings dressed like 13 year olds. On the West Coast, if you don’t have a pair of classic Vans (above), you’re whack.

Perhaps the most successful marketing scheme since Michael Jordan, is Nike’s SB skateboarding sneakers (below). Every season Nike introduces about eight pairs of limited edition sneakers with the SB branding. Some SBs are modeled after pop culture. There are Heineken and Newcastle Ale SBs, Simpson’s SBs and Ferris Bueller SBs. Some musicians and artists offer their own signature SBs, like Unkle, De La Soul and MF Doom. Having a pair of these is a status symbol, and dead stock SBs can sell for over $500.

People in the alternative scene also like sneakers. The best pair of sneakers for skinny jeans is usually the Converse All-Star (below), Asics Tigers or Puma Speedcats.