How to Decide What Shoes to Wear with a Suit
December 4, 2010 by Arash Mazinani
Filed under All Content, Gentlemen, Style Tips
I had a facebook message the other day from one of my friends who had checked out the blog and wanted to ask me a question. So rather than answer him directly I said I’d reply by writing an article on it. He wanted to know what shoes to wear with different coloured suits. More specifically whether or not it was ok to wear brown shoes with a black suit. Both are great questions that I hope to shed a bit of light on in this post.
When it comes to business and work your hands are sort of tied. Generally black shoes are best and will go with a black suit, obviously, grey and also navy (forget what you think you know navy and black do go together). You can get away with brown shoes if they are a very dark brown. However if you are short be careful as the switch in colour will cut you off and make you look shorter. If they’re too light then stick with black.
A couple of ideas you may want to consider if you are choosing shoes for the work place but want something a little bit different are: look for fine details, make sure the sole is leather preferably. You can also look out for coloured soles. If you mention red soles to a woman she’ll instantly respond with Christian Louboutin. While Louboutin does now do a line for men most of them are not really suitable for work. However I did stumble upon a brand, Sutor Mantellassi that do fine traditional Italian leather shoes finished with a blue sole. A coloured sole will give you a nice little bit of detail to set you apart with out causing too much of a stir.
If you’re wearing shoes with dress trousers or a suit out of the office and it’s not really a formal occasion then you have the freedom to really pick what you want. Stick to classic styles that have a contemporary twist with their colour ways. I’m also a big fan of patent shoes, they’re not just for a tuxedo.
Switch the black to whatever colour you like
Let me know if you have some of your own tips or shoe brands you’d like to share by commenting below.
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Man Id love some orange soled shoes for work lol
This is very interesting…I kind of HATE when men mess this up though, so I am really glad your friend asked you and you wrote about! I generally think black suit = black shoes. However, in my humble opinion there are exceptions, probably more with women’s clothing than men’s, where you can mix colors that aren’t supposed to go together….I like black and brown together, as long as it doesn’t look like you actually believed both items were the same color…and same with navy and black. I just say–use your stylish judgment. But if one is not sure, an all black look is always chic and you really can’t go wrong. Great, practical post. Loved it!
Jenna
Funny how we complain how we always end up with black shoes, but they are the most practical and failure-resistant pieces to wear with a suit. I love small details like the colourful soles, and I’ve always liked jackets with a vibrant lining. Another ways of letting your personality shine through can be with funny socks, but this is trick, and don’t get me started on cheesy ties
I have a guy friend who is constantly asking me to help him find shoes to wear with dress pants, but a pair he can also wear with jeans. I think after 2 years, many shopping trips, and a few arguments, we may have finally come to an agreement on a pair of shoes – a pair of wing tipped oxfords in a dark brown leather. *Phew!*