Match Your Shoe Colour With Your Clothes
It appears that a woman notices a man’s shoes before anything else about him. Choosing the right shoe colour would then be crucial to give a good impression. Shoes, like many other items in the men’s wardrobe, have recently become more supple.
This relaxation then brings several questions like What to wear with brown shoes? And black shoes? How to wear sneakers with a suit? What clothes to choose with colourful sneakers?
According to Albeli, the key to a successful look will be played a lot in the association of colours. Go for the wrong colour, and you risk ruining all your efforts. As with everything in your wardrobe, choosing the right colours and shades is both the easiest and the hardest thing to do. That’s to say? It is easy to wear outfits made of the same colours but in different variations (navy blue chinos + light blue shirt for example). But it is more difficult to make the right combinations of several.
Some recommendations for shoe colour for beginners
For starters, a pair of black shoes is a must-have for any wardrobe, it will pair with almost anything you own. The second must-have would be a brown pair – and as long as you do, choose a pair with details like a pair of Brogues recognizable by their hole patterns.
For those new to shoe colours, here are some basic rules to help you select your shoes every morning.
- A plain-coloured pair will always look dressier than a multicoloured pair.
- Dark shades also look dressier than light shades.
- Sneakers and dress shoes follow different rules: white oxfords will be difficult to wear while white sneakers will go with everything. Conversely, dark dress shoes will create a dressy effect, while black sneakers will be much more casual.
- If damaged or marked, no matter what colour your shoes are, the effect will always be disastrous. Buy a shoe polish and abuse it.
- If you wear rather light shoes, associate them with more neutral-colored clothes.
- If you’re wearing fancy shoes, keep the rest of your look simple to bring some balance to your look.
What to wear with black shoes
In almost every category, black shoes are the dressier version. Except for sneakers.
Black Oxfords are surely the dressiest pair you can own. This also means it limits the clothes you can wear with it. It’s a bit like a black blazer: they are very effective with a dressy look but much less suitable with jeans.
Black shoes go very well with black, light grey and dark suits. They then give a formal effect, ideal for formal jobs. And contrary to popular belief, pairing black shoes with a blue suit isn’t a bad taste, as long as you stick to dark hues. In other words, yes to the navy blue suit, no to its light blue cousin.
Casual trousers are riskier. If you plan to wear a pair of black shoes with chinos of a colour other than black or dark blue, aim for a less formal style; a pair of derbies will then be more suitable than Oxford’s. Follow the same principle for jeans.
If you are a fan of colourful chinos, black shoes are not indicated, unless you wear your pants slightly rolled up and your shoes without visible socks.
What to wear with brown shoes
Brown is the easiest colour to wear in terms of footwear. The variety of shades (dark, camel, light, sand, etc.) indicates that there are colours for all occasions.
The lighter the shade, the more relaxed the look will be, especially if you add details (like with a pair of brogues).
If you are wearing brown chinos, make sure they are at least two shades lighter or darker than your shoes. Brown shoes go very well with coloured chinos.
Dark brown shoes go very well with both dark and faded denim. Make sure your style is casual and not formal, like with a pair of suede Chelsea boots
You can imagine yourself wearing your black jeans. In this case, your shoes will have to be a relatively dark brown. Ideally, take a pair of boots.
What to wear with blue shoes
Blue is not a common colour among dress shoes. Although this colour is classic in your wardrobe (think of your shirts, your jeans or your coats), when it comes to shoes, it is generally reserved for the most daring.
Blue, however, allows you, in a more casual style, to add personality to your look. For an assertive effect, opt for a pair in suede leather.
You can choose a pair of boots, moccasins or even desert boots. In any case, it will go very well with jeans. Again, be careful that the shades of the pants and the shoes are quite different.
If you are more daring, you can also pair them with grey or white dress pants.
What to wear with white sneakers
A pair of white sneakers (as long as they are relatively minimalist and clean) can be worn with almost anything. Elsewhere on the web: the history of sneakers
It will adapt to all costumes (even black ones). The ideal will then be to swap your shirt and tie for a turtleneck. It will also go very well with a pair of jeans, whatever their colour. The same goes for chinos, shorts, bermudas and just about anything you can put on your legs.
The only difficulty with white sneakers is keeping them in this state. A tired and stained pair will indeed have the worst effect on a suit.
Bonus tip: Baby wipes are very effective for cleaning your shoes, make sure you have some at home, whether you are a parent or not!
What to wear with colourful sneakers
Sneakers are not just for sports. They have indeed left the stadiums and the streets to colonize our locker room. The difficulty is that the colours they wear make them less versatile. So much so that they only work with neutral colours.
The colourful sneakers are so casual that it is advisable to wear them with jeans (white, raw, faded or black), joggers (straight and grey, black or navy blue) or chinos (ideally brown or navy blue ). They are a strong piece on their own, so it is better to avoid other too colourful clothes.
