Do You Know How to Choose Men's Shoes?

Section: Building Your Wardrobe - Blog

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Make sure you've walked a mile in another person's shoes before you criticise them. That way, when you criticise them, you are a mile away from them and you have their shoes. This quote by American humorist Jack Handey might seem amusing. However, it draws attention to the men's shoes in your wardrobe. Are you comfortable making the right choices, or do you need some tips to help you?

Stepping into Men's Shoes

Buy black shoes first; these are staples for any man's wardrobe. For the sake of utility and versatility, choose the colour of your second pair of shoes based on the colour of yourbusiness suit collection.

While black's formality may seem boring, when it comes to shoes, it is more versatile as black coordinates with any other garment or accessory. Wear dark brown shoes with any tailored suit as long as you aren't wearing a black tie. Black ties go with black shoes and belts. Period.

To add style, you should own at least one pair of plain or cap toe oxfords as well as a pair of slip-ons to provide comfort and ease for a variety of occasions.

For instance, want to move easily through airport security when traveling? Chose slip-on styles like Chelsea boots, loafers and monk straps. Just remember, because they are considered less formal than their laced cousins, you'll wear them for informal occasions only.

protecting your shoe's life

Ideally, most men should own about three to four pairs of shoes, depending upon employment and lifestyle requirements. When you own at least four pairs of shoes, you can rotate wear through the week with minimal brushing and leave tasks such as polishing for the weekend.

Rotate Wear

Shoe rotation is important because you can enhance your style depending on the way you mix and match them with your suits as well as make your shoes last longer. The rotation period gives them time to rest.

During this time, store them with cedar shoe trees inserted because the wood draws out the inner moisture from the shoes. This leads to reshaping the leather and thus extends shoe life considerably.

Proper Maintenance

Brush the dirt off your shoes after every use. Shine and polish them as needed or ideally, after wearing them three times. If you live in areas with heavy rainfall or snow, learning to weatherproof your shoes can lengthen their life tremendously.

Avoid Buying Mistakes

Whatever shoe colour you eventually select, maximise your budget dollars by avoiding:

• Trendy colors
• Styles with little everyday utility
• High maintenance styles
• Poor quality
• Extremely square toes

For example, picture this: Your blue suede shoes look great with matching outfits. However, how do they look after a few days of wear in rough winters? Yep, that fatal combination of salt and water will cause irreparable damage to those shoes.

Are you waiting for other shoe to drop? Stop. It. There's no time like the present to build your collection of men's shoes. In fact, if you're going to give your closet a makeover by adding some new shoes, why not go all out and add some new custom made suits or shirts to your current wardrobe mix? Schedule apersonal styling session with us today and let us show you how to mix and match your suits, shirts and shoes to create a winning image.

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