All About Shoes Part II

Previously, I'd talked about one of the first considerations in purchasing shoes and that's how to care for them.  The next logical step is to consider which shoes you need to have in your wardrobe.  I believe one should have specific shoes for different occasions; business, casual, etc,.  Also, for those that have expendable cash you may want to consider having your shoes custom made. 

I've heard that there is nothing like having a pair of shoes made specifically for your feet.  You may not be aware of this but for most of us one foot is actually longer than the other one.  Granted, it may be so slight that you wouldn't notice it but it's true for most of us just the same.  However, unless you live in a major city such as New York or London, be prepared to travel to meet with the shoemaker in his shop or a swank hotel such as the Carlyle in New York City, where custom tailors and shoemakers often set up fitting rooms over several days, once or twice a year.  Custom shoe maker John Lobb, for example, lists an extensive worldwide travel schedule to meet with clients.  Therefore, the Internet is your first point of contact.  I've listed the link for John Lobb below in case you're interested.

John Lobb

The process of making shoes is also very interesting. I've included a link that demonstrates that below.

How a Pair of Louis Vuitton Mens Dress Shoes are made

Lets start by considering shoes for business.  Shoes that have laces look best with suits of which there are:

Cap toes

Wing-tips

 

Split toes

Every man should have at least 2 pair of business shoes in black and brown, respectively.  It's acceptable to wear a pair of brown shoes with a navy suit but not with a black suit and some shades of gray suits.  You can also wear cordovan/burgundy shoes with black, navy and gray suits but never with brown suits.  Also, you should never wear brown shoes with a black suit. 

In regards to casual shoes the shoes below will look good with your sport coats, blazers, polo shirts, jeans, chinos (some refer to these as khakis but that's actually a color), etc.  The same color coordination should also be considered with your casual shoes.  Of course, since the shoes are casual there will be many more colors available.

Penny loafers

Tassel loafers

Monk strap

Driving shoes

There are many more varieties of casual shoes from which to choose from and this is just a small sampling.  By the way, here are a few more things to consider:

I can't emphasize enough that's it's best to have your shoes shined and you may also want to consider adding heel and toe taps and sole savers before you wear them.  For those of you in Cincinnati I recommend Clarence Howell Shoe Repair at www.clarencehowellshoerepair.com

Due to the swelling of the feet during the day, it's best to purchase shoes after 2 pm.

Never wear the same pair of shoes two days in a row.  The shoes need to air out and breathe.

Don't forget to place cedar shoe trees in your shoes to maintain their shape.  

Don't purchase cheap shoes!  Just consider the amount of time you spend on your feet during the day.

Happy feet!