Dress Shoes Every Professional Man Should Own

The rest of the world is convinced we blokes want to wear nothing but thongs all day long. While there is some truth in the notion we are laid back, it wouldn’t be fair to think we are nothing but infamously unceremonious. When formal occasions arise we are ready to step up our game and be as presentable as anyone else.

There is no lack of such occasions too. Whether is a wedding or (god forbid) a funeral, there are some formal events where you simply must show up in top shape. Not to speak of the suited big city professional which has to project certain image to be taken seriously.

It all starts from the shoes.

Dress Shoe Traits

What makes any shoe to be a dress shoe? It boils down to three categories – materials, colors and manufacturing. A dress shoe is made out of high quality material, primarily leather. And no bargaining with this rule, a high end dress shoe has outers, lining, and sole made of leather. One can wear shoes with rubber soles, and they will be durable, however this is not your best dress shoe. Then you have colors: black is most formal, brown is more casual, and any other light color is less and less formal. Although most of the shoes we find in stores are produced en masse in third world countries, your top notch dress shoe is handmade (and stitched, not glued).

Don’t worry if you didn’t get all of that. You wont be able to miss the ultimate trait - the price tag. It will serve to show you are getting a real dress shoe, but beware, as tags can be misleading too.

Derby Shoes

If you are new to this world, it might seem that all dress shoes are alike. Well, that’s not true. They all have distinctive features that were developed over decades (if not centuries) of men fashion back in France, Italy and England. Take the Oxford and the Derby shoe for example. While they do seem alike, their lacing system is different. Your Oxford shoe will have lacing section that is stitched below the bottom part of the shoe. It gives more streamlined and more formal look. Then, what is a Derby dress shoe? Your Derby is a men’s dress shoe with open lacing system, i.e. the lacing section comes on top of the shoe.

This is a blessing in disguise. Because your derby shoe is considered less formal, but formal enough, it offers great versatility. You can wear them with suits, but you can also wear them with khakis. If this is your first pair of dress shoes, go for lace-up derby shoes so you can wear them on any occasion. And if you are seasoned in formal leg wear, then you can play around with your derby. Go for oxblood or burgundy color, or with some slightly less formal material like suede. It’s a classic and it will never fail you.

Wingtips

Broguing is another way to make a shoe versatile and fit for more than one occasion. To put it simply brogues are small decorative perforations that usually come on the front end of the shoe. Just keep in mind: clean design with no decoration is the most formal and the more brouges on your shoe, the less formal it becomes. There are four toe cap styles: quarter, semi-, longwing and wing tip. The most basic broguing perforations are those that delineate the toe cap (quarter brogues). Semi brogues have the same perforated line, but are also decorated towards the tip of the shoe. Longwings have their brogues split the middle of the toe cap and go all the way to the back of the shoe. And your full brogues have all that was described above and are also perforated along the edges too.

Wingtips (or full brogues) usually come in brown leather and can be worn with more casual suites or with suit pants. They are a great way to show some style at a fancy dinner (with a date, wife or business partner), but I wouldn’t wear them at a wedding. You can go for all sort of colors here, but even if you stick to the classic, you still have dozens of outfits to wear them with.

Chelsea Boots

They have been worn by proper royalty and by rock n roll stars alike. It’s a heeled lace-less boot that can be practically slipped on the foot. This is possible because of an elastic piece of fabric placed at the top of the ankle, without touching the sole. In the Northern hemisphere they are associated with warmth and their unisex appeal. Now, we know what you are thinking – what is the point of wearing a dress boot in Australia? Obviously you can go for a chelsea boot from light material that fits snugly. It’a timeless look that works at all latitudes.

Double Monk Strap

This is your slip on shoe with two buckles on the side. Easy to get in an out of, it gets it’s name because it was popular with monks for centuries. Similar to the lace-up derby shoes it’s somewhere in the middle on the scale of formality. It can be worn with a suit, but it can also be worn as a statement piece. In the past, proponents of Sprezzatura (Italian for effortlessly elegant) used to wear monks with one of the buckles undone. Don’t know anyone that still does that, however it does show that you can make your monk strap shoe as casual as you prefer.

Loafer

“Never do business with a man in loafers.” This could be heard in business circles in the past. “Don’t wear brown shoes after 6 pm” was said too, but we have long forgotten such etiquette rules. The loafer is your high end version of boat shoes. It’s a slip on shoe and you are formal in seconds. It can be worn with suit, however it’s not the most formal of shoes. Great for our climate and can serve to showcase your taste, without being overdressed for a casual gathering of friends.