Men's Shoes For Autumn

Peak summer heat is upon us, but all that means for fashion enthusiasts is that the autumn season is just around the corner. In a matter of months (or weeks, depending on where you live), the weather will begin to cool off and that cosy autumn atmosphere will begin to settle in. And for those who like to update their closets in accordance with the seasons, that means it's about time for an update.

In particular, a lot of men like to look into new footwear heading into the autumn and winter seasons. Throughout the summer, a lot of us opt for a minimalist approach, wearing sandals or slip-on sneakers whenever appropriate. But come autumn it's time once again to embrace ordinary shoes once more. So, let's take a look at some of the styles making the rounds this season.

Puffy Sneakers

"Puffy" might not be the most technical design term with regard to men's footwear, but looking through Esquire's list of trendy sneakers, it's impossible not to notice that there's a certain bulky, puffed-up quality to stylish athletic shoes these days. From the Puma X Fenty Suede Creepers (which are effectively platform sneakers) to the Nike Air Max 1 re-release, there are just a lot of sneakers that look almost cushiony, which is a nice look for fall. For sneaker heads, now is a time for shoes like these as opposed to some of the stripped-down, ultra-thin low tops that have been popular in recent years.

Chuck Taylors

It almost goes without saying at this point, but sticking with sneakers, Chuck Taylors in all shapes and colours will undoubtedly be in once again this autumn. These are universally recognised as classic choices no matter how you choose to wear them, but the fun thing is that there are always new tweaks and customisations coming out. Just recently, Lyst's page of men's sneakers featured a few different Chucks with fun, original graphics on the heels, both on low and high tops. Some fans of these shoes are even buying plain ones and having patterns drawn or embroidered onto them. In a way, Chucks have become canvasses for expression.

Black (Shined) Dress Shoes

Looking at greater men's fashion trends for the coming autumn, Vogue's slideshow of looks focused mostly on shirts, pants, and outerwear. However, one can't help but notice looking through the images that there's an unusually heavy emphasis on all-black, slickly shined dress shoes and boots. This is actually a contrast to the brown leather boots that have been at least as popular as black shoes, if not more so, in the past few years. That's not to say brown boots are out, but black dress shoes and boots—and in particular, thoroughly shined ones—appear poised for a comeback of sorts.

These are just a few of the looks for men's footwear that have materialised already. In the next month or so we should start to see more regarding popular boot styles and the like for winter. But in the meantime, these trends should help with both your casual and formal footwear as we transition away from summer.


*collaboration

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Chatham Escape Suede Moccasin Loafers

Summer is nearly here and finding the right kind of footwear to go with shorts or a nice light pair of linen trousers is something of a bane. I already have a nice air of deck shoes from Diesel but when I was asked by those lovely folk over at Chatham Footwear if I would like to pick a pair from their new range I jumped at the chance. I’m something of a fan of their footwear and if anything, working with the brand in the past they managed to alter my slant on foot fashion and convinced me that I didn’t always have to wear thick and chunky biker boots, and yes, I now do wear different colour boots. You can see what I thought of their boots here, but today I’m going to be showing off my Chatham Escape Suede Moccasin Loafers with an ultra-comfortable padded in sock, durable moccasin style and lightweight sole.

The Escape show is available in a range of colours from cobalt, grey, navy blue and brown leather and cost £69. Not massively expensive and when you look at the other new shoes in the range or similar types of footwear from other brands I consider them to be reasonably priced. As I’ve already said, I’ve had footwear from Chatham before and they are still going strong nearly two years later. Quality and comfort are two words that immediately spring to mind when I think of the brand.

The Escape to be blunt is bloody brilliant - I opted for a navy blue pair and it’s like slipping on a second skin over your foot. The sole is thick and cushions every footstep. As someone who suffers from horrific back pain that cushion when walking takes some of the pressure off my lower back and unlike the shoes I wear for work, I don’t find myself struggling when off on a walk.

The grip is on the bottom of the shoe is solid and even better, if you are a driver they have a small grip on the heel to provide a decent grip for when driving. Nice touch, nice touch.

So, here they are….

Other shoes in the range include (pictured left to right):

Echo - £59

Echo is an elegant loafer boasting a premium leather upper with a contrast leather collar. For extra comfort, Echo is layered with padding underfoot and mounted on a studded sole unit for stability. Available in a range of bright, summer colourways, Echo offers the perfect combination of style and comfort.

Step - £59

Step joins Chatham’s women’s range, this stylish premium nubuck leather ‘deck trainer’, is designed on Chatham’s tri-density sole unit. Available in Tan, Dark Blue and Dark Grey with a contrasting lining and outsole.

Recoil - £69

Recoil is a classic ‘deck trainer’, combining cutting edge technology, tri-density comfort technology and 3mm memory foam to offer maximum comfort and spring. Recoil is available in Brown or Navy.

If these last as long as my last pair of boots from Chatham I would consider them to be excellent value for money. At just under £70 these are a stylish shoe that make a perfect choice for the summer. They appear to be well made (I have been pulling and examining the seams and stitching). Personally I really the way they look and feel and that readers is all I could wish for.

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Every man should have a good selection of shoes

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?

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TK Maxx Haul

After my birthday dinner last month the other half and I went for a wander when I realised I had to attend BBQ of the century for a friends birthday the week after, and with nothing to wear we dashed into TK Maxx to see if they had a garish (it was an Hawaiian theme) shirt I could buy for considerably less than I was prepared to pay (hey, I’m being honest, but I’m not paying £50 for a shirt I’ll never wear again).

What’s that I hear you say?!? “tight wad”, hell yes….

So, with the intention of buying an horrific monstrosity of a shirt I ended up spending £75 and coming away with something of a haul, an entire outfit (sans pants and socks), and a pretty decent looking one if I do say so myself.

And here are the pictures, taken during a trip to feed the ducks at Groveland’s Park in Enfield. 

The shirt is from Guide London. I have a few shirts from these people and usually I can pay up to £70 for one. It cost £25, and I rather quite like the uniformed flower pattern. Now, not Hawaiian, but it looks as though I’ve tried and put in a modicum of effort.

The cargo shorts are by French Connection and again I have other shorts like these from FCUK and they set me back upwards of £50 a pair, so paying £20 for these made me smile.

The shoes, well they are from Diesel. I tend to avoid their stuff rather irrationally because I think all of their aftershaves smell like grandpa (about six weeks after he died). Their stuff is usually massively overpriced and of low quality but I think these little numbers may be swaying my opinion. £30, you can’t argue with that.

Really pleased with my outfit and my TK Maxx haul - I would highly recommend a rummage through their racks of clothes, there are some real bargains to be had. Oh, and no PR samples, no sponsorship, I really do love this place to find hidden gems that don’t cost the Earth.

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