Shoes say a lot about a man, including what kind of man you are. Do you pay attention to details? Do you take pride in how you look? Are you put together?
The shoes you wear, how you pair them and even how you care for them says a lot about you and it’s a message you are sending very clearly to the world around you. Whether that be to strangers, business contacts or even a date or your significant other. With that in mind, let’s cover a few important notes about shoes.
Toes
Shoes shouldn’t be pointy or square toed. Neither is flattering and they make your feet look misshapen. If you’ve read my blog you’ve probably heard me mention this before but if you have these types of shoes in your closet - get rid of them.
Foundations
A wardrobe has to start somewhere and a good place to start is with a pair of black lace ups. Willing to invest a bit more upfront? Purchase a pair of brown lace ups as well, or make this your second purchase. And don’t limit yourself in what you pair them with, these can be dressed up or down. Once you’ve established your shoe wardrobe foundation you can expand upon it with various colors, materials and styles. Maybe add a pair of dress boots or a two-tone saddle (spectator) shoe.
Wingtips and broguing
Wingtips and broguing (perforations) are commonly thought of as dressy, but they’re actually considered more casual. The more embellished the shoe, the more casual it actually is. So, from a hierarchical standpoint, plain lace ups would be dressier, followed by a cap toe, then a wingtip and finally a wingtip with broguing, etc.
Plain toe - the dressiest option.
Cap toe. Less dressy/formal than plain toe.
Wingtip and broguing (in brown). The least dressy/formal. This is the most casual option.
Wingtip and broguing in black.
Soles
Real dress shoes have leather soles, not rubber. That’s not to say you can’t get a good pair with rubber soles, you can as there has been tremendous improvement in that area, but generally speaking a well made pair of shoes with leather soles can be resoled again and again, extending the lifespan indefinitely while rubber soles and other glued together shoes cannot be. When they’re worn out they need to be thrown away. Heels can also be replaced by any decent cobbler. If you want to extend the life of your shoe soles and heals consider investing in shoe taps which are small metal or plastic pieces that are attached to the bottoms of your shoes.
To shine or not to shine
The only leather shoe that doesn’t need to be shined are fashion shoes or boots with intentional weathering. Even these though, to prolong the life of the leather, should be conditioned. Other than that shoes should be shined. Dull or scuffed shoes tells the world that you don’t care about taking care of your things…which can be extended to not caring much about taking care of anything else, much less yourself. And that’s not a good impression to make.
Use black polish on black shoes and neutral on everything else. You can use brown polish on brown shoes, but it may not match exactly and you also run the risk of darkening the shoe and changing its color.
Shining shoes is simple and doesn’t require much. Use a small round horsehair brush to apply the polish and a larger horsehair brush to brush the polish after its dried. Give your shoes a nice shine after brushing by buffing them with a chamois or old soft t-shirt. For that extra shine, add the tiniest amount of water, a few drops or a light mist, and then buff with a cloth.
Little now, but more later.
Buying cheap shoes might seem like the fiscally responsible thing to do and a great way to save money, but the reality is less now means more later. Over the long run you will spend far more constantly replacing cheap $100-$150 shoes that wear out and need to be replaced every six months to a year as opposed to buying one nice pair for $400, $500, $600 or more that can be resoled and last 10 years to a lifetime. Not only will your wallet thank you over the long run, but so will your feet. If your feet hurt after wearing dress shoes it because they’re either cheap, the wrong size or both.
If you really want that cool, sweet looking inexpensive pair of fashion shoes, I’m not suggesting you don’t buy them to add to your wardrobe, just be aware, they’re not going to last as long or be as comfortable if you spend any amount of time in them. One way to extend the life of inexpensive fashion shoes is to buy several in different colors and styles so they can be worn in rotation and you’re not relying on any one pair to go the distance.
Proper storage
Keep them on a shoe rack if you can and if you have the space, to keep them from becoming scuffed or scratched. Consider leaving them boxed if you can’t. Use shoe bags when packing your shoes, not only to keep them from becoming scuffed, but also to keep dirt from the soles from getting on your clothes.
Shoe bags protect both your shoes and the clothes you may pack them in with.
Shoe trees are a must. They keep your shoes from curling up at the toe and help eliminate creasing in-between wearing. Cedar shoe trees. Metal or plastic can suffice if you have no choice, but only real cedar shoe trees will also absorb the moisture from sweat to not only prolong the life of the leather but also help minimize or eliminate odor.
Use cedar shoe trees to protect your investment and extend the life of your shoes.
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