Mens Dress Shoe
Many suit wearing men consider shoes as being either brown or black, laced up in the morning, and worn until it’s time to take them off. This is not to say that men don’t care about their shoe choices, but rather that it’s one of the last accessories considered when putting together a fashionable ensemble. The truth is that men’s shoes really are not too much more complicated than you might think (certainly nothing when compared to the variety of women’s fashions), but there are a few tips that you might want to keep in mind when choosing a pair of shoes for your outfit.Typically men’s shoes fall into roughly two categories; ‘oxford shoes’ (what most men think of when they think of a dress shoe), and non ‘oxfords’. While there are a wide variety of types of ‘oxfords’, they all have similar traits. Simply put, an ‘oxford’ is any lace-up men’s shoe that doesn’t rise above the ankle. That’s it. But, within that family, there are numerous members; open-laced, closed-laced, saddle, kilties, and of course wingtips, to name a few. First thing’s first, though; never settle for anything other than genuine leather for you oxford shoes. Any other materiel will be inferior, and compromise your look. In terms of color, you should know that, whatever the particular style of oxford you choose to wear, black will always win. A black oxford shoe will go with any business suit that you throw at it. That’s the beauty of black; it matches everything. For a more formal look, however, you may choose a black, closed-laced style. These work especially well with pin-stripe, or double breasted suits. And, perhaps you own a pair of brown oxfords as well; these go well with tweed suits, or sport jackets. If, you’re looking for a more casual look, brown, or oxblood (a redish-hued shade of brown) open-laced oxfords will match anything from light linen suits and sport jackets, to khakis, and even jeans for a particularly devil-may-care look.
If, however, decidedly casual business attire is your standard operating procedure, you may wish to consider ‘loafers’. Far from a comment on your laid-back attitude towards life, loafers are a legitimately viable alternative to the more traditional oxfords. It should be noted, however, that you should approach these shoes with caution, as they do not automatically look good on all men, and do tend to be the domain of middle-aged guys. Again, as with the oxfords, there are many different varieties (penny, tassel, moccasins-style, monk straps), and colors to consider, but they are all grouped together as shoes that feature no laces for easy slipping on and off, a low-cut profile with a broad ‘moccasin-style’ top, and a wide, flat heel. Of course, the beauty of a nice pair of loafers, is that they automatically communicate a more casual attitude, and the same pair of shoes can easily transition from a business suit to even a pair of jeans. Indeed the Gucci and Prada moccasin-style loafers have been worn, and considered a fashion necessity, by young men on the go for some time now. Again, they can be worn with a suit to a business meeting, and then instantly transition to a club outfit for a night of dancing. It should also be noted that penny loafers are considered the only ‘dress’ shoe that it is permissible to wear with shorts and a polo shirt.
This is far from the end-all-be-all of men’s shoes, and there are many other fish in the sea. However, it is hoped that in the future more men will think beyond the automatic answer of black dress shoe, and consider their shoes as another element too their outfits that must be balanced, matched, and evaluated.
