What About Shoes? 3 Essential Shoes For Your Wardrobe.

What Shoes and When to Wear Them: Top 3 Must-Haves.

The shoes that a guy wears will always set the tone for the rest of the outfit he is wearing.  If you believe this as well, then it would also make sense that certain shoes lend themselves better to certain types of clothing, and even certain events. 

This is probably my favorite aspect of style, and I'd be willing to bet that I have more pairs of shoes (consisting mostly of oxfords and chelsea boots) than the average female.  There seems to be a social rule that men shouldn't need many pairs of shoes, but this really doesn't make much sense.  If you want to become a man with classic style, then you should start with your shoes.

With that being said, let's dive into what many consider to be the best place to start if you're just getting into shoes: The 3 must-haves.

1. Oxfords and Brogues 

Being 'the' classic men's shoe, the oxford is in the number 1 spot for a reason.  Oxfords are going to be the most versatile shoe out of the three, and will never go out of style.  These would be your go-to for formal occasions, the office, or even casual settings if you're feeling it.  Because of the formality of oxfords, it is important to match the the color of the shoe to your outfit.  This sets the tone for the rest of your outfit, and it's relation to the environment. 

I also mentioned brogues in the subtitle.  These shoes are often called 'wingtips' and are a type of oxford.  Broguing is the detail and design that is often put on the top of the toe cup to add an element of elegance to the shoe.  Neither shoe is more formal than the other, it simply comes down to preference.  Oxfords are the 'dress shoe'. Tried and true.

Since this is sort of a college budge blog, we'll focus on low cost recommendations in the $40-50 range. Oxfords from Asos.com, Brogues from Asos.com.  

2. Clean Boots

Moving on from traditional and classic shoes, boots can be trendier way to elevate your style.  When I say boots, I do not mean chunky combat boots.  I mean clean, low profile boots.  For this category, my all-time favorite is the chelsea boot.  Boots can be formal, but it's trickier to do; if you mess it up, you risk looking like you don't know how to match (not just colors, but styles) with your outfit.  That being said, chelsea boots are mostly worn on the street, and some semiformal occasions. These boots work well with skinny jeans, long coats, scarves, etc., and are mainly a fall/winter style that I wear almost everyday, even more than I wear sneakers.

Check out these chelsea boots by Metrocharm.

3. Simple White Sneakers

Sneakers can actually say a lot about you and your style.  They show that you know how to relax and have fun.  This type of shoe should always be paired with jeans, shorts, joggers and the like, but never with 'dressy' styles such as slacks.

White is also a classic and timeless style for sneakers.  Staying with white or black sneakers shows that you aren't just jumping on on every trend that comes along.  These Converse All Stars are my favorite go-to sneaker.

And there you have it.  The three styles of shoes to start you out.  As always, comment and let me know if you have your own go-to shoes, or if I missed any that should be included.