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Men’s Style Tips – Shoes

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I was at a function recently and a question was posed to the ladies, “What is the first thing you notice about a man’s wardrobe?”  The majority answered, “His shoes.”  So, gentlemen, I thought I’d help you to make that first impression with the ladies, a positive one.  Here’s a breakdown on some of the more popular styles of shoes out there today.  If you’re not familiar with style names, no worries, I’ve included a brief description of each, along with some hints of where and when to wear them.

 

The Oxford

This is the classic lace-up dress shoe.  Open-laced oxfords or Bluchers have the sides of the shoe sewn on top of the front part of the shoe. It looks like it’s built out in segments.

 

Close-laced oxfords or Balmorals are drawn together by laces sewn under the front part of the shoe and then closed over its tongue. The result is a shoe that looks as if it’s made from one piece of leather.

 

The Wingtip or Full Brogue features detailing that resembles a bird with its wings spread.  The toe cap is both perforated and serrated along its edges and includes additional decorative perforations in the center of the toe cap.  There are 2 more variations on the Brogue – a semi-brogue has the perforation and serration straight across the toe instead of in a winged design.  A quarter-brogue is also straight across with no additional decorative perforations on the toe cap.

 

Black oxfords are a little more formal, so they work best with dark suits (black, grey, navy), pin-striped or double-breasted.  Brown oxfords look great with earth tones, tweed suits, sports jackets and jeans.  Burgundy (oxblood) oxfords work with just about all neutrals – light suits, khakis, jeans and sports jackets.

 

 Loafers

Loafers are a slip-on shoe with a broad, low-cut, moccasin-type top with a wide, flat heel.

 

Tassel loafers are considered more formal and are best paired with business and tailored suits.  Suede tassel loafers have a more casual feel and can be worn with linen suits, more relaxed looks, even jeans.

 

The classic moccasin-style loafer is great for your business casual look but can also be paired with jeans for a night out.

 

Penny loafers are casual, so pair them with your khakis or jeans with a blazer.

 

 

Lifestyle shoes

 

Lifestyle shoes are a hybrid between open-laced oxfords and an athletic shoe.  They can be worn with all things casual – khakis, jeans, cargo pants, etc.   They come in some fabulously bold colours, but I’d suggest sticking with the neutrals for greater versatility.

 

 

 

Ankle or Chelsea Boot

These are low-cut leather or suede boots with an elastic side panel, rubber sole and rounded toe.  They are quite versatile and can be worn for work or social events.  Some styles are a little dressier with a zipper or lace-up front and a slightly pointier toe.  Choose what works best for your style.

 

 

 

Sandals

Whether they’re flip-flops, sports sandals or ‘dress’ sandals…DO NOT wear them to work and DO NOT wear them with socks – that is just soooo wrong!  Sandals are strictly casual wear and should be restricted to the beach, BBQs poolside or the park.  Sports sandals look great with shorts, chinos or jeans.

 

 

 

 

So there you have it gentlemen.  There are a few other styles out there, but I just wanted to keep it simple with the basics.  But, if anyone has some specific questions, I’d love to hear them.  Let me know what you want to know so you can move from invisible to outstanding!


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