Must have shoe styles
Although they’re usually the last thing you put on (and the last thing you think about when planning an ensemble) shoes have a huge impact on your overall aesthetic while also adding polish to your appearance. And this is particularly the case with suit shoes. After all, there’s nothing worse than putting on a beautifully tailored suit only to finish it off with a pair of clodhoppers.
So, what’s the roadblock? A good pair of leather shoes can be pricey - particularly if they have hand finished details. That said, this is very much a product where you get what you pay for too. A quality pair should last you for years and will actually get better with age.
What’s more, while shoes are important, you also don’t need a huge collection. Here, we provide the Oscar Hunt guide to the holy trinity of suiting footwear.
Business Shoes
A standard leather brogue or Derby is always going to hold a man in good stead. We recommend choosing the colour based on what suits you wear the most in your wardrobe. Generally, this will steer you towards a black or a very dark brown. One thing to keep in mind is that the lighter you go, the less versatile the shoe is likely to be. Cognac, while beautiful and excellent for more casual suiting, doesn’t pair well with darker navy, black or grey.
From a style perspective, we prefer either a standard lace up or a double monk. Both are classics that are unlikely to go out of style from season to season and can be worn with a broad collection of different suits.
Formal shoes
While they might not be taken out for a spin as frequently as business shoes, having a pair of black patent leather shoes to pair with a tuxedo is a worthwhile investment. Distinguished by their high-shine factor, this is a consummate finishing touch on any dinner suit and ensures you look the part. For the more sartorially bold, you may even wish to explore patent dinner slippers - a slip-on variety of formal shoe that’s often finished with a grosgrain bow on the toe.
Casual shoes
Finally, it would be remiss of us not to reference the all essential weekenders (or weekday-ers, for that matter). Having a pair of casual shoes that can be worn just as easily with jeans as they can with chinos helps to round out your collection. However, when we say casual, this doesn’t mean scuffed or sloppy…
On the contrary, our casual shoe of choice is a loafer, either in a more elevated tassel style or more relaxed Belgian style. Both effortlessly balance comfort with style and embody versatility at their core.
To round out your own shoe collection, we encourage you to drop by your local showroom to discover the curated Oscar Hunt range.
