high-top

high-top — noun

IPA/ˈhaɪ.tɒp/
IPA/ˈhaɪ.tɑːp/

1. a shoe whose upper part rises above the ankle, covering the ankle joint, typical

1.nounB1
Definition

a shoe whose upper part rises above the ankle, covering the ankle joint, typically made of canvas or leather and fastened with laces.

Example

Devika bought a pair of white high-tops for her basketball tryout.

pair of + high-tops for describing the item

The store had a sale on canvas high-tops in several bright colours.

material + high-tops (canvas, leather)

Common collocations
  • pair of high-tops
  • canvas high-tops
  • leather high-tops
  • white high-tops
  • wear high-tops
  • buy high-tops
Synonyms
Antonyms
  • low-top

    a shoe whose upper ends below the ankle

Grammar Patterns

pair of + high-tops

high-tops + plural verb

Usage Note

Often used in the plural form 'high-tops' even when referring to a single pair of shoes. A single shoe may be called 'a high-top', though this is less common.

Common Mistakes

She wore high-top boots to the basketball game.
She wore high-top sneakers to the basketball game.
Boots are made of heavier material (leather, rubber) for hiking or work; high-tops are lightweight sports shoes.
She put on her high-tops heel.
She put on her high-tops.
'Heel' refers to the back part of the foot or shoe, not the whole shoe. 'High-top' alone names the shoe type.

high-top — adjective

IPA/ˈhaɪ tɒp/
IPA/ˈhaɪ tɑːp/

Word family

  • low-top
    nounB2
  • low-top
    adjectiveB2

Synonym discussion

Sense: noun/1

A 'high-top' is a specific shoe style whose upper reaches above the ankle, while 'sneaker' (AmE) or 'trainer' (BrE) is the general category of casual sports shoes — it may be high-top or low-top. 'High-top sneaker' makes the category explicit. 'Basketball shoe' focuses on the sport rather than the design feature; many basketball shoes are high-tops, but not all high-tops are worn for basketball. 'Ankle boot' also covers the ankle but is made of heavier material (leather or rubber) and has a different sole, designed for fashion or outdoor wear rather than court sports. For everyday use, a 'high-top' is typically a lightweight canvas or leather lace-up shoe, whereas a 'sneaker' can refer to any lace-up sports shoe regardless of height.

high-top sneakerbasketball shoeankle bootsneaker ↗

Common collocations

Nouns

Phrases

  • a pair of high-tops

Etymology

EnglishEnglish compound

Formed by combining the adjective 'high' (meaning 'extending upward a long distance') with 'top' (meaning 'the upper part of a shoe'), referring to the shoe's upper portion that extends above the ankle. The term came into use in the early 20th century alongside the rise of sports footwear, particularly basketball shoes.