Men’s Shoes and How to Wear Them

How to Wear Men’s Shoes

So how should you wear different types of men’s shoes? We like to think we know a thing or two about shoes and are kind enough to impart some of that wisdom onto you. We’re going to look at how to wear the following types of shoe:

• Brogues
• Boat shoes
• Canvas shoes
• Oxfords/Derbies
• Leather/patent leather

How to Wear Men’s Brogues

First up, is the timeless men’s brogue. These are a stalwart of your wardrobe. You’re likely to own a pair but may not be sure what to do with them. They often only get wheeled out for weddings and other fancy affairs, but this doesn’t have to be the case if you know what you’re doing.

Brogues are a fairly smart shoe by nature, so don’t forget that. For example, don’t pair your brogues with your favourite tracksuit bottoms. Brogues and shorts should also never be in the same outfit. Stick to jeans, chinos and trousers.

Make sure that you wear them with well-fitting trousers. You want to be on the tighter/skinnier side if anything. This accentuates the great shape of brogues and you don’t want your trousers to be coming down over your laces.

If you’re going to wear jeans, we would recommend dark jeans. However, if you’re going to wear denim jeans, go for some light brown brogues to achieve a smart casual effect. Pair black brogues with black trousers, brown brogues with grey or navy and so on. Mixing them up can lead to clashing.

How to Wear Men’s Boat Shoes

Boat shoes are a fantastic summer shoe. They can be dressed up or down and they might as well have been invented for the smart-casual dress code. Whether they’re smart or not is up to you, and how you dress with them.

Before we go into clothes, there’s a couple things to remember with boat shoes. Do not wear them in the winter. Wearing boat shoes in winter is like wearing snow boots in August, it makes completely no sense. These shoes are a summer staple only. Secondly, ditch the socks. Boat shoes do not look good with socks at all. If you’re worried about the potential odours that could cause, get some shoe liners. Also known as sockettes or invisible socks, these will give you the appearance of wearing no socks, even though you are.

Boat shoes go with pretty much anything except sportswear, loungewear and suits. Think t-shirt and shorts, shirt and jeans, polo and trousers. If you’re going to wear trousers with boat shoes, make sure you have a pin roll, so you can clearly show you have no socks on and to give you a laidback, summery look. If you’re wearing them with casual clothes, then make sure they all fit well. You can make your casual clothes look smarter than they are simply by wearing some boat shoes so wear them right.

How to Wear Men’s Canvas Shoes

The men’s canvas shoe used to be as ubiquitous as trainers are today. Canvas shoes occupy a retro space in the footwear market and are great way to give your outfit a casual, yet classic feel. Canvas shoes are versatile.

Canvas shoes should be reserved for all of your casual outfits. There’s no real items of clothing that need to be mentioned in particular. Just keep it casual with canvas shoes. Shorts, jeans, shirts, t-shirts and the like.

Canvas shoes come in loads of different colours. Consider getting a pair in a bright colour and wear them with your otherwise monochromatic outfits. For example, a bright red pair of canvas lace ups would look great with an otherwise understated look of black jeans and a white tee.

How to Wear Men’s Oxfords/Derbies

Oxford and Derby shoes are ideal formal shoes. They’re quite similar in look, so what applies to one also applies to the other. These should be worn for smart or formal occasions and you need to pay attention to the colour scheme more than anything. 9 times out of 10, they’ll be brown or black.

The obvious choice of clothes to wear with either Oxfords or Derbies is a suit. If your shoes are brown, go for a dark brown, blue or grey suit. If they are black, they are way more versatile and can be worn with any colour suit, jeans, chinos, smart casual outfits and formal looks. If you’re going to wear either of these with jeans, be sure that you can pull it off as it’s quite hard to do.

How to Wear Men’s Patent Leather Shoes

Patent leather is the type of leather that looks more like plastic than leather. It’s shiny, glossy and is a good option to have in your wardrobe. Patent leather shoes should only be wheeled out on formal occasions. Whilst you can wear Oxford or Derby shoes in a smart-casual setting, that doesn’t really extend to patent leather shoes. Only wear your patent leather shoes if you’re wearing a suit, a ceremonial military uniform or you’re in black tie. No exceptions.

How to Colour Match Your Clothes and Shoes

Simply buying and wearing a gorgeous pair of shoes isn’t enough. You need to know how to wear different coloured shoes to get the best results. We’re going to look at what goes best with different coloured shoes, so you can add an edge to how you dress.

How to Wear Black Shoes

Black shoes are always a smart option. No matter what style of shoe you are wearing, whether they be trainers or dress shoes, a black version of them will always be smartest. Black shoes go with almost anything you’re wearing though. The only thing you should avoid whilst wearing black shoes is shorts. If you’re wearing trainers, you can get away with it. If you’re wearing formal black shoes with shorts, you run the risk of looking like you’re in school uniform.

How to Wear Brown Shoes

Brown shoes are another great formal tone. The lighter the shade of brown you wear, the less formal your clothes need to be. Brown shoes with black jeans is the pitfall most people fall into. This one is more down to opinion and if you’re confident it looks good, then go for it. If not, then don’t risk it.

Dark brown shoes go with darker shades of jeans and will be your best chance of getting away with some black jeans. If you’re wearing brown trousers, in a suit or chinos for example, then try and have two different shades of brown.

How to Wear Red Shoes

Red shoes are a bold purchase and if you dress them right, they look amazing. Monochromatic outfits suit being paired with red shoes. This will make your feet stand out and add a little bit of colour in the right places.

With red shoes, it’s good to go with some contrasting colours. Dark blue jeans or a navy outfit with red shoes is testament to this. Black jeans will always go with red shoes and if you’re in a grey suit, then some red will add an unconventional twist to your get-up. If you want to go a bit smarter, a black, navy or grey blazer will match your red shoes well, especially when combined with a white shirt.

How to Wear White Shoes

White shoes lend themselves to being worn casually. If you’re wearing white shoes, it’s most likely these will be some trainers or canvas shoes. White dress shoes should only really be worn with fancy dress. Unless you’re Brad Pitt or Ryan Gosling, leave the white wingtips at home.

White goes with anything, so you’re really not limited with what you wear. All-white outfits have been making a strong showing on the runways this year as well, so pair some white low top trainers with white jeans, white tee and a white denim jacket for a bold look. Another really simple and pleasing outfit would be some white trainers with blue jeans and a white tee. It’s a really straightforward look but it works every time.