If you had asked me ten years
ago how many pairs of shoes I needed the answer would be two – a pair for wear
with my work suits and another pair for wearing with jeans. Oh how things have
changed. I’m now rapidly rivalling the other half in the shoes stakes at home
and it’s safe to say (I think) that most men would say that they become a little bonded to their favourite shoes. I have
been known to shell out hundreds of pounds every year on buying footwear, a shudder at some of the monstrosities that I've had on my feet over the years! Does anyone remember LA Gear?!?
(silence and tumbleweed)
With this in mind, and given
the evolution of my shoe tastes (in a non-fetish way) there are certain styles
of footwear that every man must have.
Dress shoes
Oxfords
When I say dress shoes, the
first thing that comes to my mind is Oxfords. They are mostly divided into
balmorals and bluchers depending on the lacing systems (sounds complicated
doesn’t it). Balmorals comparatively have simple looks. I personally advise
everyone to have a pair of balmorals that can be worn with formals.
Slip-ons
Slip-ons are less formal
compared to Oxfords. Some people wear them with suits, while others prefer to
have it with sports jacket and trousers. There are a number of slip-ons
available in the market and most of them are categorized as casual footwear.
Personally speaking, I wouldn’t
advise slip on shoes for formal wear. My first boss gave me tips – never employ
someone wearing slip on shoes or who wears a shirt that has a pocket on the
front! He was, shall we say, slightly old school.
Casual wear
Saddle shoe
It is a type of Oxford shoe
with a layer of leather on the top. The shoe is mostly considered as a casual
wear.
Deck shoes
Perfect for summer, this
babies go well with canvas trousers and shorts.
Canvas shoes
Who doesn’t have a pair of trainers
(Translation: sneakers)? You can find a wide variety of trainers in different
colours and styles. I have two pairs now that rarely see the light of day – but
always good to have a pair or two for when I finally get back into the gym. I’ve
never been one for wearing these with jeans or when going out, I think it just
looks strange for a man to be out and about wearing trainers.
Loafers
Slip-on loafers come with
heavy rubber soles and has the upper part made of leather. They are available
in a number of colours and styles. In case you are looking for something
between dress shoes and canvas shoes, loafers can be your best bet.
Sandals
Never do socks and sandals –
it’s the law. If they were good enough for old JC then they are good enough for
me. Bizarrely I have three pairs of sandals and are the oldest form of footwear.
They provide a good grip to the sole of your feet while allowing enough air to
pass on the upper part of the feet. Great for summer and even better when
walking across red hot sand!
Athletic footwear
A number of athletic boots
like tennis shoes, basketball shoes and running shoes are available in the
market. You can’t go wrong with a pair in black but looking at the cost of some
nowadays I actually start to think the world has gone mad!
Boots
Work boots
Any person who works 14 hours
a day at a construction site definitely understands the importance of work
boots – I don’t work on a construction site, but I do love a good pair of boots
– I’ve got five pairs now. It’s good to invest in set of solid boots so that
you can use them for a long time.
A good quality boot can get
back on the road with some repairs. I paid £120 for my last pair of biker boots
circa 2006 and they only fell apart on me late last year. You can’t grumble at
that return when you consider that when picking up a cheaper pair in December
last year I thought I was getting a bargain until they literally fell off my
feet some nine weeks later. Not good!
Hiking boots
There is no way on god’s
green earth that you would ever get me into a pair of hiking boots – I see
people wearing them and immediately think Geography teacher! Well worth it if
you enjoy the outdoor life but seriously, why do people need to wear them when
traveling on public transport in London?
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How many pairs of shoes do you think are too many for a man? Is the answer there are never enough?
