For a long time, looking good was a female affair. This meant most men were content with any outfit provided they were clothed. Nowadays, this has shifted and men are paying close attention to their appearance. Men’s shoes are among the most expensive things you will own in your closet. Not any expensive shoe will suffice for your outfits. The wrong shoe color can muddle your entire look and leave you looking less than dapper.
Whether you chose steel toe formal shoes for men, dress shoes, or oxfords for your formal outfit, the color of your pair rather than its style is the most crucial element. This will determine the suit color that will match the shoes you pick and the cohesion your outfit will have. This does not mean picking any shoe on the store shelves provided it is the right color. You should also ensure that its stitching is exceptional to guarantee its durability and dapper look. Here are some guidelines for choosing the shoes that will match your suit.
Navy Blue Suits
These match with burgundy/oxblood, brown, and black shoes. Blue conveys responsibility, wisdom, and trust, giving a tranquil and calming effect on the people you will meet. Touches of burgundy, black, or brown will blend in and avoid a distraction caused by too much blue. The color of the shoes you will pair with the navy blue suit, nonetheless, exudes different ‘’attitudes’’ to your look. Black shoes exude a formal appearance, brown ones are ideal for a flexible or relaxed look while burgundy ones are the best for a creative appearance.
Light and Medium Gray Suits
These pair with brown, burgundy, and black shoes. Though these are the same shoe colors as those for navy blue suits, light and medium gray suits are less formal than the latter. They are ideally worn for ‘’relaxed’’ events. Black will be the best choice if you are wearing a tie with a white dress shirt while burgundy and brown shoes match with shirts that have a pattern of sorts. Charcoal gray suits should not be worn with brown shoes since the difference between these tones is quite stark.
Brown Suits
The compatible shoe colors for these suits are burgundy and brown. The brown in this case should be a slightly different shade from that of your suit to generate contrast. The ideal choice in most cases is to have your shoes in a darker brown shade compared to the suit so that people’s eyes are not drawn to them. Black shoes will ‘’clash’’ with your suit regardless of your suit’s shade of brown.
Black Suits
These are only compatible with black shoes. Other colors will make your black suit look too casual and yet it is meant for some of the most formal occasions. These include strictly business environments, funerals, and black-tie events.
There will certainly, always be exceptions to the above rules based on the event you are attending, the people at the event, your lifestyle, and the place. The above combinations have been proven to work for men who are aiming to stand out. They will be a good starting point for all occasions.
