Dress shoes are an essential component of a formal outfit. You can't wear sneakers or tennis shoes with a suit. Suits are formal, so they require the use of formal footwear. What type of dress shoes you should wear with a suit exactly? Below are some simple dos and don'ts to follow when choosing dress shoes for a suit
Do Stick With Leather
There's no substitution for leather dress shoes. While you can find the dress shoes made of other materials, leather comes out on top. It offers a distinct appearance that's synonymous with men's formal wear. Regardless of your preferred style, you should stick with leather dress shoes. Leather dress shoes will complement your suit to create a more uniform and attractive appearance.
Don't Choose Dress Shoes With Glued Soles
When shopping for dress shoes, check the soles to see how they are attached. All dress shoes have soles. The sole is the bottom most part of a shoe. On some dress shoes, the sole is attached with stitching. On others, it's attached with glue. You should avoid choosing dress shoes with glued soles. Glued soles are cheap, low quality and an overall poor choice.
Do Inspect for Damage
Always inspect dress shoes for damage. Both new and used dress shoes alike can suffer from damage. Maybe they are stained, or perhaps they have a torn eyelet. If you discover damage such as this, you should choose a different pair of dress shoes. Even if the damage is minor, it will affect the appearance of the dress shoes -- and not in a good way.
Don't Wear Casual Laces
Formal footwear requires formal laces. You shouldn't wear casual laces with dress shoes. While there are many different types of casual laces, they all feature a low-quality and generic appearance. Formal laces are typically thinner, so they offer a cleaner and more uniform appearance. If your preferred dress shoes already have casual laces in them, you should consider replacing the laces with formal laces. Formal laces are inexpensive. You can buy a pair of formal laces for about $5.
Do Polish Before Wearing
Assuming you choose leather dress shoes -- which you should -- it's recommended that you polish them before wearing them. Leather has a naturally shiny texture. When placed under the light, it will reflect light off the surface, resulting in a shiny and summering texture. Polishing your leather dress shoes will maximize their reflective properties while also softening and conditioning them in the process.
When polishing your leather dress shoes, consider the following tips:
- Wax immediately after moisturizing your leather shoes.
- Apply around five to seven thin layers of wax.
- Use caution to avoid getting wax on the laces.
- Use a lint-free microfiber cloth to apply wax.
- Reapply wax about once a month.
- Let your dress shoes sit for about 20 minutes after waxing them.
- Once they've finished drying, wipe down your dress shoes to remove any excess and lingering wax.
- Choose a high-quality wax that's designed specifically for real leather.
Don't Choose Slip-Ons
Avoid choosing slip-ons to wear with a suit. Slip-ons, of course, don't feature laces. As their name suggests, they feature a slip-on design. You can wear slip-on dress shoes by slipping your feet into them. And you can take them off by slipping your feet out of them. Slip-ons are easy to wear, but they aren't particularly formal. Most slip-ons are too casual to wear with a suit. Whether you're wearing a two-piece suit or a three-piece suit, you may want to avoid slip-ons. Instead, choose a pair of traditional dress shoes with laces.
Do Wear Matching Socks
Dress shoes require the right socks. Even if your dress shoes are formal, they may look awkward if you pair them with the wrong socks. What type of socks should you wear with dress socks? Choose dress socks that match your suit trousers. If you're wearing black suit trousers, you should choose black dress socks. If you're wearing navy suit trousers, you should choose navy dress socks. By matching these two items, your dress socks will blend into your suit trousers, resulting in a more uniform appearance.
Don't Overlook the Toe Shape
Don't make the mistake of overlooking the toe shape when choosing dress shoes to wear with a suit. The toe shape, of course, refers to the structure of the shoe toe. It can vary depending on the particular type of dress shoe. Some dress shoes have a pointed toe, whereas others have a more squared-off toe. Dress shoes with a pointed toe are typically more formal. Dress shoes with a squared-off toe, conversely, are typically more comfortable to wear. Regardless, you should consider the toe shape when choosing a pair of dress shoes.
Do Watch the Heel Height
You should watch the heel height when choosing dress shoes. All dress shoes have a heel. Some of them, though, have a taller heel than others. If the heel is too tall, the dress shoes may look awkward. A tall heel will make you look taller, but it may harm the appearance of your suit. Therefore, you should choose dress shoes with a heel of 1 inch or less. As long as the heel is no taller than 1 inch, the dress shoe should offer a clean and formal appearance that enhances your suit.
Don't Wear If Wrinkled
Dress shoes can become wrinkled. If you discover deep wrinkles in your dress shoes, you may want to avoid wearing them. Deep wrinkles often look messy. Dress shoes, of course, should look clean and uniform. Fortunately, you can protect your dress shoes from wrinkling by using shoe trees. Shoe trees are wooden blocks that are designed to be placed inside of shoes when they aren't being worn. With shoe blocks, your dress shoes will maintain their shape. You won't have to worry about your dress shoes developing creases or wrinkles. The shoe trees will fill the insides of your dress shoes so that they maintain their shape.
