The age-old saying “you can tell a lot about a man from his shoes” persists very strongly in the cosmopolitan era of fashion, where men take their grooming as seriously as women. In the world of first impressions, men sadly do not have tons of dressing styles, accessories, and makeup techniques to bring in to the table like women. This is why they need to ace what they have in store for themselves without making any fashion faux pas. When a guy walks into the, most of the eyeballs automatically move towards his shoes. This means that you have only two seconds to give your first impression before you give out any impression. Men have to carefully find pieces of footwears that resonate with their personalities while being fashionable. This is where the rule of think quality, not quantity comes in.
Whether your style is minimalist, chic, casual or sophisticated, if you invest in these five cult pieces of footwear, you my boy, are good to go.
1. Basic white sneakers
A good quality plain white sneaker is a holy grail in every guy’s wardrobe irrespective of your age. White kicks are easily one of the most worn, most versatile, most comfortable, and most fashionable footwear for men today. The best part about these shoes is you can pair them up with jeans, chinos, shorts, and even formal pants if that’s your style and they will never stick out like a sore thumb. These shoes naturally give out a more casual vibe which is perfect for a day out, while you are traveling, on a date or just one of the days where you do not want to try hard but still wish to look put together. There are however a few things you must keep in mind while owning a classic pair of white sneakers.
We would suggest investing in a good quality piece that will last you long which includes either leather top, strong soul, or the kind of white that doesn’t fade into yellow with time. Also, try to stick to the simplest silhouettes by avoiding any obvious brand logos that make it look chunky. Lastly, the most important note is to always keep them clean, going out with dirty white shoes is worse than going out barefoot.
2. Brown loafers
There are situations where men neither wish to come out as too formal and uptight nor do they want to look too casual, this fine line of casual formal is held together by loafers, preferably any shade of brown because it is way more versatile than black. Loafers have clawed their way up in being a fashion essential in the glamour industry for the past few years. From ramps to corporate offices to celebrity parties to Saturday nights to colleges; you will find loafers almost everywhere. Even if you wish to take the work look to an after hour party, you will blend in just fine with a great pair of brown loafers.
There is a huge room for experimenting loafers and your dressing style too. From neutrals to patterns to colors to prints, you can slip on to loafers and accentuate the vibe of your look within minutes. There are numerous styles available in loafers and this is an instant cheat code for dressing up or dressing down for men according to the occasion.
3. Espadrilles
The oldest kind of men footwear that has been afloat in Europe since the 14th century, but the world noticed them only recently and it took the men fashion industry by a storm. These shoes have a canvas topper to cover the front foot making them easy and breathable. We like to refer Espadrilles as vacation shoes not only because of their appearance by also the sheer comfort they offer while walking down a busy street, a beach, a bar, or even the woods. They usually come in basic colors like beige, faded blue, grey, olive, black, and white. It is quite interesting to see that this footwear looks sophisticated and yet casual, expensive yet approachable, comfortable yet fashionable.
Guys can easily pair these up with light jeans, shorts, chinos, beachwear, and even linens to look chic and well-dressed. Not only are these shoes fashionable but they also keep your posture in check, keep the bad odor and sweat away, and most importantly are eco-friendly. What is better than looking fashionable while you can help the environment right?
4. Black/brown Oxfords
If you wish to have one formal shoe that you will always reach out for be it a meeting, a wedding, an interview, or even a date; let that one pair be black oxford shoes. In simpler terms, Oxford shoes are the classic close laced black formal shoes made of leather. On the occasions, where you have to suit up, these shoes will help you bind the look together. The trickiest part about dressing up formal for men is one wrong accessory and the impression goes down the drain, shoes being the most prominent one.
This is why one must invest in good quality oxford shoes and maintain them regularly for elongated use. Black Oxfords are recommended for all the formal occasions because any other color apart from black tends to give a less formal impression. These can easily be categorized into the gentleman’s shoe league for they are sophisticated, classy, chic, and very attractive.
5. Strap sandals
Open toe leather strap sandals or chappals for Indian men is a staple piece for all the traditional occasions like festivals and weddings. Pairing up formal shoes with Indian wear does not complement the outfit and the occasion. Having a comfortable piece of flat strap sandals, preferably in any shade of brown will work for different colors of outfits. They are good to go for a day event and even for the night events as they blend in well with the whole Indian theme. There are other options for ethnic footwear like gladiators, jootis, huaraches, and more that will look great too. These sandals look stunning even with the Linen shirt and half kurtas too if styled well.
Make sure you get the sandals in good quality leather to avoid the shoe bites and discomfort. You can even include these sandals on your regular outfits since they do resemble the street style fashion to an extent. In a country like India, where you celebrate a festival and attend a wedding almost every day, having a good pair of straps sandals is always a good idea.
These were some of the footwear essentials that every guy must own to look fashionable all the time. There are many other variants of sneakers, formal shoes, loafers, and more to choose from. But these classic five pieces will do most of the job for you in keeping you stylish and comfortable throughout. Good quality of men’s footwear does fall under slightly more expensive range but, once maintained well, they will last you longer and give you the worth of their price throughout. Having said that, if you do have more recommendations to add on to the list, feel free to tell us.
Fashion recommendations are always welcome here!
Image Sources: FreePik
