How To Buy A Perfect Pair Of Shoes?

Choosing the right shoes can be daunting. Nobody wants to worry about their shoes ruining their outfit. So you went down to your favourite store to buy them? 

Why not searching for them online first and comparing as to which one looks the best on you before spending a penny on them.  There’s wisdom in online crowds guys,

So let’s look at these  dress shoes that just keep flying off the shelves and find out the right pair of shoes for you:

Dress Shoes: 1st Ranking Factor – Shoelaces 

One basic way of sorting out the “more formal” and “more casual” shoes is by the presence of shoelaces. History shows they’ve practically been around since people decided to craft materials to cover their feet.

Although historians don’t have a clear breakdown on the history of shoelaces (or shoes for that matter) they give an estimate based on ancient recordings that shoelaces were invented around 3000 BC. So that’s a pretty long time!

They were most likely invented out of people’s need to fasten whatever piece of footwear was created to their feet. If the shoes were leaf-based, they wouldn’t remain in the bottom of one’s feet without being tied on. So there’s a chance that the shoelaces used back then could’ve been strands of grass or natural string sources.

There’s also the discovery of the ancient Areni-1 shoe where proof of advanced lacing technology could be found. It actually had leather shoelaces designed to pass through slotted eyelets – which had been cut into the animal hide material.

Dress Shoes: 2nd Ranking Factor – Amount Of Detail 

The general rule of formal wear is that less (simpler) is more. That’s why the most formal dress shoes aren’t supposed to look “busy” or filled with interesting, intricate detail.

If you’re aiming to steer clear from the casual side, it’s not just about meeting the shoelaces requirement. The toe (the section where your toes are located right below) should be a:

1. Plain Toe – where the vamps are non-decorated and the look is distinctly clean
2. Cap Toe – where a horizontally stitched line goes across each vamp to “cap” the toe

More Broguing = More Casual

Certain dress shoes set themselves apart from the pack when it comes to broguing – the amount of decorative perforation. Perforations were originally invented centuries ago by men who wanted to let water escape the shoes more easily while treading across marshes. Now they’re solely for display or fashion (not so appropriate for conservative settings or business events).

Dress Shoes: 3rd Ranking Factor – Color 

Black is hands down the color that outranks the rest. It brings out class, sophistication, and even a level of mystery to your wardrobe. It’s also associated with more power and authority – which helps explain why most tuxedos, priestly garments, and judges’ robes come in black.

But which one’s the runner up? That title goes to brown – particularly darker shades of brown (including derivatives of red like oxblood and burgundy). You can do some reading on black vs. brown dress shoes and hear varying opinions. But do remember that light browns and all other possible shoe colors are far more casual.

These are the questions to ask yourself when you’re torn in choosing a shoe color:
How formal is the occasion? Is it an all-business affair or a date/social gathering?
Are you attending a non-formal event in the daytime or evening? Light-colored dress shoes are more welcome during the day while darker colors look better in the evening.
Is it summertime or a warm day? People are more inclined to wear and appreciate lighter colors in warmer temperatures.

Material of the Sole – Leather Vs Rubber 

The bottommost part of the shoes also has a say in how formal they turn out to be. So here’s a comparison between leather and rubber soles.

Leather 

Leather is more formal than rubber in general – but requires a correctly done cut if you want it to stay very elegant.
The material has a better quality and more strength, especially if it’s made up of multiple layers of leather (a triple-leather sole can outlast any rubber sole).
The problem is if the leather isn’t properly done – it can have a rigid structure which can be comfortable to the foot. Shoes are best made on a last with ample arch support.

Rubber 

Rubber lacks the formality of a leather sole due to its natural “chunky” appearance.
The material offers more flexibility with a minimal break-in period. It also naturally has more shock absorption than leather so you can walk with it on rougher pavements.