Hi-top fade

A hi-top fade is a style of haircut where hair on the sides is cut off or kept very short while hair on the top of the head is very long (in contrast, a low fade is a style where hair on the top is kept shorter).

The hi-top was a trend symbolizing the Golden Era of hip hop and urban contemporary music during the 1980s and the early 1990s. It was common among young black people between 1985 and 1993 and to a lesser extent in the mid-1990s (1994–1996).

The style fell completely out of fashion by the late 90's, but it has made a great comeback in the mid-2010s (2014–present) due to the late 1980s/early 1990s revival in hip hop fashion that started since 2011. The hi-top fade was and still is commonly called just a flattop, due to the great likeness of the two styles. In fact, the hi-top fade could qualify as a variation on the flattop.

Origin

In 1980 Grace Jones and then boyfriend Jean-Paul Goude collaborated on the cover and artwork for Warm Leatherette (album). It featured her signature flattop/hi-top hair.

High-top

The high-top is a shoe that extends significantly over the wearer's ankle. It is commonly an athletic shoe, particularly for basketball. It is sometimes confused with the slightly shorter mid-top, which typically extends no higher than the wearer's ankle. High-tops also should not be confused with shorter-length boots such as ankle boots, since high-tops usually refer to athletic shoes, although can also refer to other above-ankle shoes such as some hiking boots.

Examples of basketball shoes that are high-tops are Converse All-Stars, Nike Air Forces 1, 2, and 3, Reebok Freestyle, Reebok BB4600 and Fila's own "Foggia" range. Others include skateboarding sneakers, such as the Vans Vault Hi Fi LX which are quite supportive to the wearer's ankles and are useful to those with hypermobility and fallen arches.

While most high-top sneakers take the form of either the Converse All-Stars or Nike Air Forces 1, 2, and 3, high-top CVO (Circular Vamp Oxford) cover the ankle and also have a circular vamp. They come in both lace up and slip-on, thought the slip-on version is very rare. In British English these would be high-top plimsolls again either in lace up or slip-on. Various manufacturers and models exist, including Keds, Pro-Keds, and Converse. These exist for both genders and all age ranges. The shoes have recently come back in style in 2014, espically white ones.