By : Juhi Bansal
Last week I spoke about the most commonly available types of men’s shoes. As I gather from the emails…it left many of you confused. So, here’s a quick guide to 5 pairs that you can start with.
- Black Oxfords: Especially if your work makes you frequent client meetings, board rooms and conferences. They go well with all kinds of sharp suits.
Black Oxfords
- Brown Loafers: You can’t wear black shoes with everything. They provide a pleasant alternative to your black Oxfords and are suitable for both work and formal family dinners.
Brown Loafers by Cole Haan
3. Brogues: Buy them in simple two-tones and they will act as the perfect Friday dressing to work or even formal brunches on the weekend.
Two-toned Brogues by Mezlan Copa
4. Leather Flip-flops: Indian men tend to opt for flip flops with most casual attire mostly because of the unforgiving heat. Shoes may not be the answer to very casual settings like going for groceries or running a quick errand where you mostly turn up in jeans & t-shirts or shorts without bothering to change first. Rather than going for your rubber flip flops I would suggest you buy a pair of leather flip-flops.
Leather Flip-flops by Lee Cooper
5. Indian Footwear: There may not be one single style that goes with all bandgalas, churidaars and pyjamas but you can go with slim Monks or Peshawari sandals if its winters and Kolhapuris if it’s peak summers. You can buy some good looking reasonably priced Kolhapuris at Fab India. Juttis have lost their glory in the last few years.
Double-Strap Monk Shoes
Go East Peshawari Sandals by Markhor
Kolhapuris
Some points to keep in mind with your shoes:
-When buying Oxfords, make sure they are contoured and slimmer & rounded around the toes. Say no to square toes but don’t go for painfully skinny or narrow toes as well.
-All and I mean all dress shoes should be leather with leather soles. The only shoes you can afford to have rubber soles on are moccasins.
-Never step out of the house without polishing your leather shoes. Do it the previous night if you are always in a hurry in the mornings.
-Keep the bottom of your shoes clean. A muddy or dirty sole is a big turn off.
-When you wear the open toe flip-flops or sandals, make sure your feet are extremely neat and clean. Scrubbing them once a week while bathing is a good idea.
-Smelly feet are another big turn off and quite a common factor during peak summers. Wearing fresh socks every day and washing your feet before going to bed may help.
So that’s all about shoes for now. It is such a vast subject that it becomes almost impossible to do it all in one article but I hope I covered the basics and it will help you in choosing your shoes better.
Although a lot of research has gone into the article, the views expressed are solely (pun not intended: p) my own. You may want to use your personal style sense and comfort when you go out to buy shoes for yourself.
Remember there are no rules in fashion but there is definitely no excuse (and forgiveness) for dressing shabby.
Some good looking men and their shiny shoes at the red carpet
Stay Handsome 🙂
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