No man might appear fully organized and dressed up without wearing a pair of smooth, polished and high-quality dress shoes. Dress shoes complete any outfit without a flaw. Some of the most popular designs are Oxford shoes, Wholecut oxfords, Derby and Brogues. Men can spruce up their look with black or brown dress shoes depending upon their outfit.
Black dress shoes are considered the most formal while brown stands next to it.
But what are the qualities and features that make a shoe formal? Consider following points while judging formality of shoes.
- First up dress shoes are always made of leather.
- Formality Scale Black>Dark brown>brown>Tan>Grey.
- Dress shoes don’t rise beyond ankles and have a sleeker cut. That’s how you can distinguish them from boots.
- It should have a lace-up closure. Lacing may be open or closed. Closed lace-ups are more formal than open lace-ups.
- Laces should be thin and matching colour.
- Upper of the shoe should have no decoration and the stitching should be fine and almost invisible.
- It should have a pointed toe-box. Though oval and round toe box is also acceptable but pointed toe is ideal for any dress shoes.
- Heel is must for authentic dress shoes. No-heel shoes fall under casual category. Choose some decent heel for your shoes. Too high heel suggests boot design and should be avoided.
- It may or may not have cap-toe. Cap-toe Oxford leather shoes are higher on formality ranking.
Wear Black Oxfords With Black Suit & Tie
IF you want to look a smasher on certain evening wear black Oxfords; the most formal shoes of all. Match black Oxfords with black suit to be recognized for your outfit selection.
- Wear an ironed crisp black suit with white shirt and black tie. To top off the business professional look wear a pair of formal-expert Oxford shoes.
- Bring cap-toe Oxford shoes for the highest formality, but no storms if your Oxfords are without a cap-toe.
- Accessorize black Oxfords with black socks when you wear black dress trousers. Don’t make a mistake of matching any other colour socks; it will simply look odd and awkward.
- Match your belt with the shoes, black belt with black shoes. For all other colours match a dark brown which is a more harmonious colour with many shades.
- Don’t forget a dress watch with black strap to coordinate whole ensemble together.
Match Black Wholecuts For Black-tie Event
Team a pair of imposing black Wholecut shoes with the dinner suit or tuxedo to thrill the air.
Black-tie being a formal event calls for high-end dress shoes. Thanks! Wholecuts were invented. Tuxedo combines black suit with bow tie and specially designed white formal shirt. Wholecuts were carved for the rare occasions like this. They are made for the demonstration of classic dress sense.
Match Brown Oxfords With Navy Suit
A pair of chiseled brown Oxford shoes is a fit article to wear with a navy suit. Brown Oxfords are second-in-command, next to black Oxfords.
- Try brown Oxford shoes without cap-toe to renew your style. This way you will add another powerful yet distinctive asset to your footwear range.
- Pair navy socks to match the navy dress pants and complement the shoes.
- Ensure the shoes shine and have no imperfection on the surface.
- Here you can wear black or brown shoes but dark brown Oxfords will fare well with a navy suit.
Wear Derby Shoes
Get a pair of dark grey or charcoal Derby shoes to wear with a black shirt and off-white denim. Derby shoes look awesome with certain outfits.
- Velvety surface of suede makes it less formal and more fun shoes.
- Avoid suede in rain as it soaks water drops and dries at leisure.
Suede Derby will also complement a business casual or smart casual ensemble including sports jacket over shirt and trousers. Dark grey or dark brown are colours to wear for work and wedding, however if you wish to play with the character of the shoes you can bring light grey or tan suede Derby’s.
Mens Boat Shoes | Styling Boat Shoes
Leather Derby Shoes With Polo & Chino
Derby is almost as formal as Oxford or Wholecuts but it has a symbolic traditional design that makes it perfect pair for work and formal events.
- Wear black leather Derby shoes with navy polo shirt and beige chino pants in a smart casual backdrop. Polo and chino blend well for a partly professional look while formal Derby lifts the outfit to a noble degree. Wear socks to seem sophisticated and complete. And add a black belt.
Other Combinations can be white polo and navy chino and dark brown Derby shoes. Wear a brown belt and watch to top off the systematic attire.
Black Oxfords & Derby’s In Business Professional Game
Business attire supersedes all other professional outfits; therefore a first-class business suit ought to be teamed with most formal shoes.
- Match more formal shoes like Oxfords, Wholecuts and Derby for business professional attire. Here brogues will underperform since they can’t play full formal. From an expert’s view black Oxfords suit the business context but black Derby shoes can also dominate the situation pretty well.
- No thunder! Given half a chance black wholecut shoes can also outclass aforementioned rivals.
- So you literally have three choices for business setting.
Half Brogues with Business Casual
Brogues are respected as semi-formal shoes with a middle ranking on formal scale. Brogues can be dressed up and dress down easily since they come in a variety of designs.
- Match half brogues for a professional look. Marketing executives can also opt for black semi-brogues since they look elegant with black suit or charcoal suit.
- Wear brogues once a while at work. Keep them off routine. Reserve brogues for weekends or casual meetings.
- Wear full or wingtip brogues to look snappy with smart casual attire.
Wear Wingtip In Two Ways
Lace up dark brown wingtips with a white button down and dark navy denim for a casually-dressed-up gentleman’s look. Tighten a same colour belt to finish the snazzy appearance. A dress watch with blue dial and brown strap is must here.
Put on a light blue formal shirt with off-white chino pants. Layer the combo with a dark grey sports coat. Wear tan or brown wingtip shoes to elevate your outfit. All elements in subtle contrast will look vibrant together.
Wear Brogue Boots with Denim
Generally you would wear sneakers, boots or loafers with denim but here is a pair of underrated boots. Get enticing brogue boots in lieu of leather boots to look stylish.
Pair ankle-high brogue shoes for a casual look with denim. Wear brown brogue boots with denim for high fashion. You are sure to outshine others for the elegant and quintessential design of the brogues.
Better yet if you roll jean cuffs for a street boy look.
Wear Penny Loafers For a Business Casual Friday
Although loafers are casual footwear but a smart dresser can easily style penny loafers for a partly formal fashion on weekend or parties. Loafers can also be worn for business casual and smart casual events.
Match brown or black penny loafers with an ensemble of shirt, trousers and blazer. Here penny loafers will maintain a low-key business environment.
Make sure to shine your shoe with polish for a suave touch.
