One Pair of Leather Shoes
Today, I was asked for a recommendation on a pair of black leather shoes. My friend wants a pair that can be worn with jeans. I think a man needs a few options in the hard-soled category, so before saying anything else, I asked if he had any other leather shoes. His answer was no. I told him I’d think about it, and well, I’m planning on just sending him this post.
Black matches a lot of things, but I’m going to have to go with Jim Moore’s advice and tell you that oxblood will keep you matching for days (Those aren’t his exact words.). Dark brown and merlot are also options, but stay away from the chili color for now. If you really want to get the most match for your buck, and this shoe is going to be the power horse of your new sartorially-conscious wardrobe, I’d go with oxblood. Don’t worry, I’ll list some black options too.
Ok, I’m going to be a bit biased on this, because I wear Allen Edmonds and Alden daily. I do own other brands of shoes, but honestly, these are my favorites for the money. I try to rotate my black, brown, merlot and oxblood colors so that I can keep each pair looking fresh. Leather does need to breath. Although you’re going to want to wear them everyday, I’d advise against it so that you can give them time to rest.
I think you should start with a cap toe balmoral or blutcher style shoe with possibly a small amount of brogueing along the cap. If I lost you at bal, here’s the scoop on the two styles. I have them both and rotate them in and out as I feel it’s necessary. Don’t be afraid to wear any of these with jeans, either. Check out the inspiration images below and I think you’ll agree that both of these styles go great with jeans. Before you break the rules, you need to know them. Bals were traditionally reserved for more formal occasions, but I like the look of them with jeans, so I break the rules whenever I feel macho.
Here are a few oxblood, dark brown and merlot options.
Balmoral:
Blutcher:
If you’re still content on getting black, here are some options.
Balmoral:
Blutcher:
Don’t forget to check ebay before you purchase one of these options, you might find a better deal there. After you do get yourself fixed up with a nice pair of shoes, watch this video from the dapper gents over at Put This On, for tips on how to take care of them.
Here’s some inspiration to get your creative noodles twisted.
photo credit: J.Crew
photo credit: The Sartorialist
