Essentials: What Everyone Ought To Know About Shoes

The last essentials post I wrote was almost a year ago so I thought I’d kick start it with a piece that I seem to have grown more passionate about in the last 12 months; shoes. Great shoes are a must for any stylish guy, yet they’re one area that many seem to fall short on. Whether it be on the style of shoe or the lack of love they give them. They say you can tell a man’s worth from his shoes and watch, so what do yours say about you?

So I thought I’d do a really simple break down so guys can stop making basic mistakes and step their ‘shoe game’ up. We’ve all heard the age old adage that the first thing a woman looks at on a guy are his shoes. Yet many guys choose to neglect this area of their wardrobe.

The first thing you need to consider when investing in new shoes is the style of the shoe, then the colour and finally the price. Not everyone can afford £300+ pairs of shoes, but the great thing is you don’t have to. The high street has various styles that will fit, whatever your budget.

One thing you need to be aware of is; the material your shoes are made of. If you can afford it, they should be entirely made from leather, including the sole. Avoid plastic like the plague; there is a reason women who wear shoes from Primark have smelly feet and you don’t want to join that club.

Another word of warning, please bin any ‘square toed’ shoes they’re not stylish at all. You should really be looking at a round or ‘almond’ shaped toe.

Also I touched on shoe care with my post on shoe-trees, but you really need to make sure you’re regularly polishing and protecting your shoes. You can have the best looking shoes in the world, but if you neglect them, over time they’ll just look shabby and battered; not stylish!

Oxfords

Also known as Balmorals to our US friends, are defined by the way the laces are sewn under the vamp. Oxfords with a plain toe are the most formal, in brown or black and are your go-to shoe for suiting.

Brogues

Can be Oxfords or Derby shoes (that’s where the laces are sewn on top of the vamp) and refers to the patterned hole effect you see on some shoes. You can get different types of brogues dependent on the varying amounts of holes and patterns on the upper of the shoe. My personal favourite and the style most people think of are wing-tipped brogues. They’re not as formal as a plain toe oxford so are great to pair with jeans. You’ll also notice they come in a variety of colours and finishes; so are a great shoe if you want a bit more character to your outfit.

Slip Ons

These really encompass a variety from more formal shoes to loafers and get their name because of the lack of laces. Loafers in particular are great for casual summer time looks, so now you have no excuse for sandals.

There are plenty other styles that I could probably run through and I know I’ve missed, but I’ll feature those individually in future essentials posts and drill down into more detail with them.

This is just a starter to essential footwear knowledge so keep checking back for more updates in the coming weeks.

As always I’d love to hear your thoughts, so leave a comment below.

If you want to keep up to date with the latest trends or check out our latest how-to’s, guides and top tips why not subscribe? You can subscribe by RSS here or subscribe by email by filling in your email address in the subscription box in the sidebar. You can also catch me on Bloglovin here.