Staid, boring, drab – these are just some of the words I hear when my girlfriend sees my collection of shoes. While shoes to a woman is a pair of dazzling, colourful, strappy shoes in everything from flats to impossibly high heels,  I see shoes as a pair of well-crafted, leather pieces that are meant to whisper style rather than shout it. Classic men’s fashion, is just that – classy. Of course, the same can be said of women’s fashion but ours tend to change very little over time. Maybe a little tapering here on the pant leg, a little shorter on the jacket hem, a slightly longer silhouette for the shoe but never anything as drastic as turquoise one moment and honeysuckle the next. The entire point of men’s wear is giving the male figure a smooth and elegant silhouette because we really need it. Elegance can be achieved in men’s fashion, from well-cut suits and plain button-down shirts to cotton shirts and other casual wear. Mens shoes fashion typically change very little, too. The only drastic change I’ve seen between my shoes and my father’s is how fast I run mine down.

Style is more of an ensemble thing rather than a single noticeable accessory. However, one of the more powerful pieces in an ensemble are the shoes. Men’s shoes are crucial when it comes to dictating style, that’s why I think it’s absolutely important for use to know which type of shoe goes with an occasion. Yes, I know people don’t normally start a conversation looking at your feet but the wrong pair of shoes can be a major let-down even with that spiffy designer suit you’ve got on. I’ve seen lots of men making that mistake, and possibly a few of my own back when I hadn’t the clue about mens shoes fashion trends. I’m a cheapskate by heart and I love wearing my cheap, run-down, beat-up shoes to run errands, drive around, or do lunch with my folks at their home. But however comfortable my mens wide boat shoes are, I just won’t wear them on formal events such as weddings and corporate parties and meetings. I can’t stress it enough, wear the right shoes for the right occasion and If you haven’t the faintest idea how that goes, read on and I’ll clue you in on a few tricks I’ve learned over the years.

If you’re into sports as much as I am, you ought to know that shoes are a major investment. I pay attention to my feet a lot when I play tennis, and boy, do I play a lot of it. So it’s really really important that I keep my ankles, knees, and feet safe from injury so I can keep playing the sports I love. Pay attention to your feet as well. Do you notice that your feet get a little bigger later in the day or after long periods of standing or activity? Well, mine do. So I learned that even if I do fit in a standard-size 9, I’d usually buy myself a wide-size 9. I buy myself mens wide golf shoes and mens wide basketball shoes rather than mid-width to accommodate that peculiar expansion that my feet go through. Same goes for my casual shoes, I get mens shoes kickers in wide-size, too. I’m a big fan of mens tennis shoes on sale, too. Tennis shoes give for more room around the toes and they’re just great for feet like mine. Sneakers, sandals and casual shoes such as loafers and boat shoes are among the few styles of mens shoes to wear with shorts    .

Another shoe style a man must invest in are dress shoes. Now, dress shoes are a very important part of your wardrobe so take this investment seriously. Because they are carefully crafted and are specifically for formal events, dress shoes tend to be rather expensive. Mens dress shoes fashion     as well as mens casual shoes fashion have changed very little and you have to remember to keep it simple when you’re looking to buy a pair. I can’t stress it enough, a great suit can be ruined by a bad pair of dress shoes. The first thing you ought to consider is quality. It doesn’t take a style guru to differentiate good quality from bad, if you have a hard time telling then best go for the popular or more expensive mens shoes brands. Weigh the shoe first, is it too heavy for you? Feel the leather, is it soft and supple? Comfort is usually directly related to price, the more comfortable the shoe, the pricier it is. I’ve learned that quality can be eye-catching even if you are a beginner when it comes to buying shoes. A beautiful pair of Italian leather shoes will tend to catch your eye, they are typically elegant and designed with classic lines rather than trendy styles. Invest in a pair of black leather shoes – these will best with most suits everything from blue to brown or black. I have lots of suits in shades of brown (tan, khaki, chocolate brown) because they’re a little less formal, so I own a few pairs of dark brown leather dress shoes to match these. If you’ve got suits in silk or tweed, dress shoes in shades of rich chestnut will look great with those.  As I’m very partial to brown shades I do tend to buy more shoes in this color as well. I’ve learned that chestnut-colored shoes are great with knit suits, the texture comes alive with the richness of the shoe color. Burgundy-colored shoes are great with black, brown, or tan. I’ve also bought dress shoes in oxblood or reddish brown and they match earth-colored suits rather well.