As the old saw goes ….
If you want to take the gauge of a man? Have a look at his feet.
Never have truer words been said. Footwear is important and should perhaps receive the most attention when it comes to a man’s wardrobe. Not only do they signal elegance, but your feet are one of the most complicated and important features on your body. If you are cursed with flat feet as I am, then shoes are doubly important.
When it comes to building a wardrobe, here is a rule of thumb which I adhere to. Your shoes should be approximately the equivalent of twenty percent (20%) of your wardrobe budget. I am not quite sure where I got that (no I didn’t invent it), but I find that it sure does work for me.
Now if you listen to the “experts” on the blogosphere, you will hear things such as “your first pair of shoes must be a pair of black cap toe oxfords”. This piece of advice holds true if you are a member of the “suit and tie” brigade. Meaning you wear conservative dark business suits on a regular basis. However, a shoe wardrobe must be approached from a practical point of view with an eye toward “how they will be worn”.
As such, a man who spends most of his time in elegant casual dress would be better off starting out with dark brown bluchers before acquiring a pair of black cap toe oxfords. Similarly, a man who spends most of his days in jeans and khakis might discover he is better off beginning with an elegant pair of chukka (ankle) boots.
Fit and Comfort
Fit and comfort are a priority when it comes to footwear. That is because your feet support your weight all day. And if you happen to have problem feet, this is doubly important. Proper fitting shoes must be comfortable and wearable over long periods.
In terms of fit, the midfoot (arch) is the fulcrum of the foot. This is the “make or break” for fit. The shoes must “hug” your arch without being too restrictive. A well fitted arch prevents the foot from sliding around in the shoe. Secondly, there must be sufficient room in the toe box to prevent your foot from jamming up against the fore of the shoes. Having your toe knuckles rub against the fore of the shoe will not only prove uncomfortable, but will generate blisters on your toe knuckles over time.
Third and equally important is the fit in the heel. The heel must hug your ankles. There should be no excessive gap in the heel. On visual inspection, there shouldn’t be a visible gap between your heels (or Achilles) and the heel cup of the shoe. It must be “snug” but again, not restrictive.
Color and Finish
This is where it gets a bit tricky. Shoe color will often come down to personal taste and lifestyle. The band leader of a rock band might be partial to emerald green alligator shoes but that hardly means you should buy a pair. In fact, that hardly means they should be your twentieth purchase even when you have a wardrobe full of shoes.
In terms of visual appearance, the emphasis should always be to bring the weight of the subject (you) down to the bottom. In other words, you want to avoid looking “top heavy”. What light colored (or bright) shoes do is exactly that. They draw the eyes to your feet and make you look top heavy especially when you have dark colored clothing above your shoes.
The base of your shoe wardrobe as I have discovered, must be built around dark colored shoes. That means anywhere from black to medium browns and dark burgundy. Lighter browns and tans are fine when you already have these basics covered. The lighter brown and tan shoes will only take light colored trousers (and or suits). However dark colored shoes can take both light and darker trousers so long as the contrast isn’t jarring.
Indeed, there is some wisdom to the rule that your first couple of purchases should be a pair of dark or medium brown bluchers and a pair of black oxfords. This rule however assumes the average man who wears a suit and/or a tailored jacket regularly. That said, I still believe that for the more casually dressed brethren, this color rule will also serve you well.
PROFF