Dress Shoes: Stride in Style
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If you believe that shoes, like boots, are made for walking, then why not hit two birds with one stone by finding fully-functional dress shoes in which you can stride in style? When you’re dressed to impress, which means looking drop-dead handsome in a tuxedo or a tailored suit, don’t destroy the image by showing up in tattered sneakers or unpolished black shoes from your preppy days back in college.
Read on to find out more about dress shoes and how you can find the perfect pair for your formal wedding.
Dress Shoes
You may already be exceedingly familiar with the conventional pair of rubber shoes or trainers, but when we say dress shoes, we’re talking formal wear and business attire.
There are two main types of dress shoes on the market: oxfords and loafers.
 The Prada Oxford |
 The Penny Loafer |
Oxfords refer to any type of lace-up men’s shoes that are typically made from patent leather. These shoes usually come in basic black and are considered the height of men’s formal dress shoes. Black oxfords work extremely well when paired with double-breasted suits and pinstriped suits. If you’re going to be wearing a sports jacket, a tweed suit or khakis to your wedding, then brown oxfords are the more suitable alternative.
Loafers on the other hand, refer to a type of formal slip-on foot wear. These shoes are usually marked by their moccasin-style top and flat heels. Unlike loafers, you don’t have to lace these shoes up, you just have to slip them on and you’re good to go.
For formal weddings, we recommend oxfords over loafers. Reserve the latter for your office’s dress-down Fridays and for dates with your blushing new bride.
Choosing Your Dress Shoes
If it’s your first time picking out dress shoes, shopping for formal footwear can prove to be a completely tedious and confusing experience. The following are some tips to help you pick out the perfect footwear for the occasion.
For semi-formal weddings, you might be able to get away with slip-ons or loafers, but these dress shoes are unacceptable when it comes to ultra-formal gatherings.
For ultra-formal weddings, we suggest basic black leather oxfords or patent leather shoes. Remember, patent leather shoes are required if you’re wearing a tuxedo.
Tip 2: Decide on a budget.
Before you go shopping for your dress shoes, have a set budget in mind to prevent you from either overspending or scrimping. If you’re planning on wearing your dress shoes to the office, then it’s perfectly alright to splurge and to go for designer footwear. If, however, you have no plans of wearing your leather shoes again, then it’s highly advisable that you pick out less expensive but equally impressive dress shoes from the mall.
Tip 3: Don’t buy the first dress shoe you encounter.
It may be awfully tempting to simply purchase the first nice shoes you encounter, but believe us when we tell you that better bargains are out there. Try on different shoe styles to figure out what looks best on you, and pick the shoes that you like best.
Try on the shoes and walk around in them before you purchase your dress shoes. There is nothing more agonizing than ill-fitting shoes or hard shoes that cause your feet to blister or chafe. Avoid these problems by finding shoes that are not only stylish but also extremely comfortable. Remember, you’re going to be doing a lot of dancing, walking and mingling throughout the reception, and you don’t need sore feet slowing you down.
Tip 5: Wear your slacks or tuxedo trousers when trying on dress shoes.
You won’t know how good your dress shoes look with your trousers if you don’t wear them simultaneously. Your shoes need to match your trousers, so try on dress shoes wearing either your tuxedo trousers or similar-style pants.
Tip 6: Lastly, find the right size.
Dress shoes tend to be either a size above or a size below the normal shoe size. Try on different dress shoe sizes to find the perfect fit. You’ll be wearing socks at your wedding, so you need to find shoes with about half-a-size’s allowance. One way you can do this is by wearing socks while shoe shopping.
Check out this guy modelling his Loafers.
Tyson F. Gautreaux said on,
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hurrah4jose89 said on, October 09, 2008
View 1 CommentsThis might sound funny, but all my formal shoes consist of loafers. I've just hated tying up my shoes since I was a kid. Now I don't wear any pair of shoes with laces except those that I use when I play basketball. Thanks for all the tips. My brother is getting married next month, and I'm planning to buy a new formal loafer to wear on that day.