How to: Brown dress shoes, Part I: Choosing a pair

Tuesday, January 12th, 2010

Hey gents —

If you look in our closet this very moment, right under K’s shoes are mine… some 12 or 13 pairs. One pair of black Calvin Klein lace ups, and 11 pairs of brown shoes in different shades and styles. I find brown to be my go-to hue 98 percent of the time; I feel they add an extra punch of color and warmth… something a black lace up just can’t do (in my opinion, at least.) I’ve always reserved black shoes for a particularly dressy occasion, but maybe that’s just my excuse because I love brown so much.

Now, an ill-equipped man has only one pair of dress shoes… usually of the square-toed, thick-soled, clunky variety that one should not be caught dead in.* But you’re not an ill-equipped man, so let’s assume you already have a good pair of black dress shoes. It’s time to explore your other options, because a gent needs some variety in his footwear.