Starting from the bottom up.
08:55Shoes. Shoes can fundamentally make or break an outfit. You may be wearing the best three piece suit or fitting pair of dark jeans but if you don't have the right shoes to go with it, you may as well not step out the door.
In the past 5 years shoes and men have started to become one. Gone are the days of men owning two pairs of shoes; one for the gym and one pair for pretty much everything else. Now men are buy shoes to fit with office wear, lunch dates or even walks in the park. I have friends who own well over 20 pairs of shoes, yes they are guys!
I have a rule of 5. 5 paris or items of shoes or clothing that you and every man should own for their basic wardrobe so you can then shape a wardrobe around these items.
I have 5 fundamental pairs of shoes that should not be missing from any mans wardrobe.
1. Brogues
I LOVE Brogues. They where originally made to be outdoor and country wear and not appropriate for business or casual occasions but are now appropriate in most contexts. If you find the right pair, I like the rounded ends not the pointy, they can be worn at work with a dark blue or tartan suit or with a pair of jeans.
If wanting to go casual team them with a a pair of fitted slim dark jeans and roll them up a bit to show the laces and make sure to wear statement socks, black and grey are just boring. If going for a casual drink with friends team the jeans with a thick knitted coloured jumper (especially in this weather) with either a Barbour jacket or a wool pea coat.
Asos is a great place for shoes as they offer their own brand that is cheap (£40 - £80) right up to Paul Smith and Kurt Geiger.
Office Shoes do a great band called 'Ask the Misses' that produce a great line from standard brogues to suede and even boots for very reasonable prices.
2. Boots
Now I have only just got into wearing boots after having a dislike to them when people decided to look like pirates and wear them with laces undone and with drop crotch jeans. BIG NO. When the snow decided to cause a commotion I thought it was time to invest in appropriate footwear and not wear moon boots like Mr Joey Essex.
Unsure about them I decided to have a look at Office Shoes sale. I picked up a pair of simple dark brown leather boots for £35 down from £110 and it is not safe to say they were an absolute steal! I have not stopped wearing them as they go with everything be it from my dark blue chinos or dark blue cords (you will find out I like blue) to my all my jeans.
I found an interest in boots when scouring the internet for new looks and found a great pair from Jack Wills called The Thornscroft Boot until I saw the price tag of £229 was a bit out of my budget. Looking through websites, again I found Asos have a great selection ranging from simple dark boots to a light tan brogue style. If you are looking for a more proper english heritage look have a look at Herring Shoes, they are a great English style that will last you years!
Also give the chelsea boot a look. These look great with a pair of dark jeans or black chinos teamed with a dark tee and tan leather jacket.
3. Loafers
Not exactly appropriate for the current weather, loafers are a great shoe to slip on with jeans, chinos or even a suit. I recently invested in a new pair of these after mine got a battering from last summer. I picked up a pair of Miller suede slim soled loafers from top man, in you guest it dark blue. My friend on the other hand decided to go to Vivian Westwood and buy a pair of burgundy suede loafers for £70 down from £190. To be fair to the man, he pulls them off.
Now there are many styles of loafers but for me there are only two that I like. Both suede. I like the one on the left (£42 Asos) as the point of them gives them a sophisticated look that can be worn in either the office or at a casual event. The ones of the right are Ralph Lauren telly suede loafers (£115) give off a very casual feel that can be work with shorts or chinos. Teamed with chinos they can be worn or a dinner date or just a simple night stroll with a lady friend.
I would always go for a dark look due to the fact that, if you want to wear them around this time of the year you can get away with wearing a pair of black socks with look like a tool!
4. The sneaker
Now with sneakers or trainers there are a few types that one can go for. Currently the Nike vintage blazers (£70) are all the rage, coming in a variety of colours in suede. Worn by many (young) celebs such as John Mayer, Jay Z and Chris Brown to name but a few. These can be work in a variety of ways. One way is the old school high top style with laces undone and the big tongue sticking out. Alternatively you can sharpen up the look and lace them right to the top, tuck the laces into the shoes and pull your skinny/slim jeans down over the top. These can be found in any high street shoe shop.
One word, Converse. The loveable shoe has been around for over 100 years since their founding in 1908. They have literally be worn by every clique ranging from the skaters, to sportsmen to hip hop artists and I can see why. They are a great shoe. They are so casual they can be work with any day time outfit. Personally I like the low riders ones as they just feel comfy. Always make sure they are clean and go for either white, blue (there it is again) or burgundy as they can be teamed with anything really.
Again back to nike. With the blow up of the air max's coming back into so called 'style' I thought I would have a look at nikes other new shoes. I came across the nike Montreal racer. I love the sleek look of them and although not very gentleman like they can look great if teamed with the correct attire. If you have a pair of bright ones like the reds or greens ones try wearing them with dark jeans and a dark tee or knitted jumper. You can still look gentleman like with an up to date twist. These also look good in the gym and I would know as I have a pair of the red ones!
5. The Classic
Everyman needs that one pair of shoes that he will wear twice maybe three times a year at weddings or a very important social event. As these shoes are for a dress to impress event and you wont be splashing out on new ones every six months, this is the time where you should spend a bob or two.
I find Hugo Boss and Paul Smith do great black formal shoes. Hugo Boss are renowned for their great suits and shoes so you will never go wrong with a slick pair of black ones from there. With Paul Smith I find, with shoes you will always be able to find a great pair as they are always up to date. On the left is an example of Paul Smith (£195). You can see the classic look really coming though with their design with the cut off line the the beginning of the toes with a great gloss finish. With Hugo Boss (£185) on the right these would go exceptionally with a tailored tux or suit for any wedding or important social event.
Now if you are really adventurous why not put a twist on old classics with a pair of coloured suede shoes. These are Alexander McQueen's design at a healthy £400 but be careful they would fit in well in todays style but you don't want going out of style just as you buy them. So think!
Heres a few tips for you:
1. if you are on a budget TKMaxx are always up to date with great shoes
2. if you are ever stuck on what to wear jump on the internet and see what your current idols are wearing, personally I always look to see what Beckham is wearing or Micheal Fassbender and Oliver Cheshire
3. buy magazines. GQ and Esquire have great mens fashion sections and are always up to date with great new idea on what to wear.
Have fun with new ideas!
Sam
Keep up to date with me through -Twitter- Mens_Trends1
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