Shoes makes the man. The most fundamental part of your outfit is your shoes. They are the most artisanal product in your wardrobe and impact how you hold yourself. A well constructed and polished shoe is reassuring and gives confidence.
There are a few shoes that are completely necessary for the well dressed gentleman. Once you have those and take good care of them, they will take care of you in return. Beyond these essential shoes, you can start expanding your collection to refine your personal style.
The perfect wardrobe starts with a black formal shoe. For your grey suits and special occasions, black leather is essential. No construction puts quality leather in focus like a wholecut shoe.
Made from a single piece of leather, this wholecut Oxford is a testament to craftsmanship. It takes skill and flawless leather to create a wholecut shoe and the result is elegance in purity. Keep in mind that simplicity is often synonymous with formality, thus it will work best with tailoring.
That is why your first classic shoe should be a black wholecut.
Your second shoe should be brown and versatile.
Once you have a black and a brown shoe, you can match any colour in your wardrobe.
A brown derby with broguing is perfect for this job. Brown leather is easy to pair with shades of blue, but also with many other colours like beige, chocolate or burgundy.
The derby construction makes for a comfortable shoe, which you will be able to wear often and feel excellent in it. The final addition of broguing makes the shoe somewhat more casual, allowing you to wear jeans or chinos while being formal enough for tailoring.
Loafers are more causal than shoes and are great for summer looks.
You have a wide range of different loafers to choose from. If you want something more casual or colourful, you can find a pair of great suede loafers. In addition to being stylish, suede is also comfortable and perfect for vacation looks.
Leather loafers are more dressed up and can pair very well with suits. If you choose a sober version in plain leather, you can wear them with formal suits at work.
For your first loafer, we recommend a medium brown penny loafer. It works just as well formally as casually, due to its simplicity and is overall a great classic loafer.
Loafers are fun and affordable and a great way to give personality to your summer wardrobe!
Monk straps are great for giving personality to your budding shoe collection. The double monk is a stylish construction, and you can give it an extra bit of flair by choosing burgundy leather.
Going from oxfords and Derbys to monk straps can be daunting, but when you do they will become some of your favourite shoes. Few shoes will get as many compliments as a beautiful monk strap.
Due to its Italian influence and elongated last it works very well with more casual and colourful looks. However, while you can pair them with chinos or jeans, they are still appropriate as a formal shoe matching your best tailoring.
No shoe collection is complete without a great boot. Something you can wear when the season requires coats and umbrellas or when you want a more casual look.
The Chelsea boot was made famous by bands such as The Beatles, and that kind of coolness does not fade easily. Today Chelsea boots are the way to combine comfort and style.
Choosing a cognac suede will allow you to elevate your casual looks with a great texture. Suede feels great and is comfortable, and it is important to incorporate multiple types of leather in your collection.
While not being formal enough for formal tailoring, you will get a lot of use out of these boots whenever you are dressing more casually.
A shoe collection is something you can keep and work on for a lifetime. To be appropriately dressed in any situation, there are some foundational shoes you need.
Beyond the essential shoes for starting a collection, you have to think about your personal style and needs.
The next shoes you should add to your collection are ones you love and that show your aesthetic.
Perhaps you are very traditional in the way you dress and would like to have a range of classic formal shoes. These could be simple in design but made to stand out by maintaining a perfect polish on them.
Maybe you have an obsession about shoes with buckles and are always looking for single monk strap shoes.
Whatever you feel drawn to, learn more about it and add to your collection. This is where you express your unique style.
Buy shoes you love and take good care of them, then you will love your collection.
Shoe wardrobe