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The 8 Best Business Casual Shoes For Men :
Want to know what types of shoes you should wear with business casual outfits? This guide has everything you need to know.
Business casual has been the most popular coding for the last twenty years, and that’s not going to change any time soon.
Sure, offices have been even more casual lately. But they still use “business casual” as the official coding.
5 Secrets To Better Style
In our business casual guide, we tend to talk about the history of this image coding and how it understood in the trendy geographic spot.
We also mention some outfit ideas and mention what kind of shoes to wear to show off.
In this article, we are going to delve into that terrible subject. After all, your shoes measure one of the most important elements of your outfit, which means they will make or break your look (especially at the office).
Do You Need Business Casual Shoes?
If you add an impromptu geographic spot (ie jeans, t-shirts, and sneakers), you’ll probably only want 1 or 2 pairs of dress shoes. They often reserved for formal events such as interviews, weddings, and funerals.
But if your job calls for business casual wear, you’ll want 3-4 pairs of business casual shoes to complete the cycle.
At a minimum, we predict that every man should have at least one shoe combination that is acceptable for a business casual workplace.
What Not To Wear
Good fashion is a kind of clever referee: it usually forgets, however, it rarely makes mistakes.
If you want to avoid the trendy erection in the geographical area, never wear these types of shoes in the office:
- Sports shoes (for example, running shoes)
- Sandals and Flip Flops
- espadrilles
- work boots*
- boat shoes
- shiny shoes
- Velvet slippers (obvious…hopefully)
*Some work boots are dressy enough to worn with nice chinos or jeans (skinny, dark wash, no wear). As an example, the Allen Edmond Higgins Mill boot will work with business casual attire, while Dr. Martens 1460 would look terribly out of place.
8 Business Casual Shoes
We’ve talked about what not to wear, so let’s explain the most effective business casual shoes for men right away.
Please note: Although all of those shoes work with business casual wear, they vary in formality.
For most offices, any kind of sneaker should be reserved for casual Fridays, as they’re technically not formal enough for this coding.
Let’s inspect each fashion closely…
Oxford
Formality level: formal, nice for formal business settings and events (weddings, interviews, funerals, etc.)
Defining Features: Closed lace-up construction
The main problem with AN Oxford is its closed lacing system. The eyelets measure squares sewn under the vamp, giving the shoe a clean, formal look.
Other than velvet or leather slippers, Oxfords are the most elegant “dress shoes” you’ll ever buy.
Of course, not all Oxfords have the same square measurement. There’s a big difference between plain-toe animal skin Oxfords, for example, and suede Oxfords with a brogue toe and other embellishments.
The good news is that if you want business casual footwear, just about any Oxford can do the trick.
Brogues & Wingtips
Formality level: elegant but less formal due to decorations; nice for business casual
Defining Features: Ornamental perforation on the toe box and/or throughout the upper
Although the term “brogue” used these days to describe a kind of shoe, it’s a form of name (I blame The Kingsman franchise…).
Decorative perforations, or brogues, are often unlike any type of shoe, regardless of construction.
To put it another way, some Oxfords can also be considered brogues.
So the whole “Oxfords, not brogues” thing is not very good and has caused a lot of confusion.
Of course, many men like embellished shoes over plain shoes, which is a good thing because brogues and wingtips work great with business casual attire.
Since these shoes have square embellishments, they are more casual than plain dress shoes, or perhaps pointed-toe dress shoes, making them acceptable for a chic but not too dressy geographical spot.
The wingtips have an additional piece of animal skin on the tip that forms a “W” over the top. These squares are intended to be many casual dress shoes.
Derby (A.K.A., Blucher)
Formality level: ranges from formal (but not as formal as Oxfords) to business casual
Defining Features: Open lace-up construction.
Unlike Oxfords, fedora shoes (also called “bluchers”) have square-measure eyelets sewn to the top of the instep.
This results in a much less efficient and much more casual profile.
Derby shoes and bluchers are also said to be lighter for people with high insteps, so if you find Oxfords too tight, give the hat a try.
Loafers
Formality level: varies from formal (but not as formal as Oxfords) to informal
Defining Characteristics: Assume a shoe, with no laces
Loafers are available in all shapes, sizes, colors, and designs, from very formal to very casual.
When most men think of loafers, they picture the penny loafer, a classic shoe that can be dressed up or down.
You can wear loafers with jeans, chinos or pants at any time of the year. They are available in animal skin and suede and can be worn with or without socks.
Penny loafers are squarer than casual dress shoes (for example, Oxfords or bluchers).
Monk Straps
Formality level: elegant, however, it will be worn with good casual attire; less formal than undecorated Oxfords and derbies
Defining Features: Single or Double Buckle Straps, Slip-On
Monk-strap shoes have exploded in quality in recent years, and they don’t seem to be going anywhere, at least not anytime now.
While many men assume that monk shoes are formal, they are less formal than classic flat-toed or cap-toed Oxfords.
This makes them extraordinarily versatile and ideal for casual business settings.
Single or double monks (often referred to as “double monks”) will be worn with pants, chinos, or jeans.
They are the best for the guys that the World Health Organization wants to square off from the pack and don’t mind getting more attention.
If you wear polished animal skin double monks to show off, I promise you’ll get a couple of compliments.
Dress Boots
Formality Level: Less formal than a dress shoe; will be worn with business casual or good casual attire; not applicable for formal environments
Defining Characteristics: Oxford or hat construction, taller than ankle joint height
Dress boots will be worn year-round, but they are a good alternative to dress-up shoes during the fall and winter as they provide a lot of coverage and warmth than a brown court shoe.
Like dress shoes from the ankle joint down, dress boots will be worn with jeans, chinos, pants, and even suits.
If you’re going to wear dress boots in an extremely formal setting, make sure they’re dressy (ie, not a chunky work boot with a matte toe and a chunky rubber sole).
Chelsea Boots
Formality Level: Vary from dressy to casual depending on silhouette, materials, and details; not applicable for formal environments
Defining Features: Gathered Joint Height Top, Stretch Side Panel, Slip-On
Although Chelsea boots come in various shapes and sizes, they are generally more stylish than other boot shapes.
The slip-on construction and stretchy side panel make them a good alternative, and it’s not hard to find Chelsea boots that work well with more formal outfits.
Some Chelsea boots will even be worn with suits. simply certify that they need a sleek silhouette and a polished finish.
Chukka Boots
Formality Level: Vary from dressy to casual depending on silhouette, materials, and details; not applicable for formal environments
Defining Features: Mortise Joint Height, Open Lacing, 2-5 Pairs of Grommets
Like Chelsea boots, chukkas are available in many alternative designs, some of them too casual for workwear.
A half boot is simply an associate grade mortise joint tall boot with 2-5 pairs of eyelets, usually made from animal hide or suede.
Desert boots area unit a kind of game season that feature unstructured uppers and crepe soles. These area units are generally not formal enough for business casual attire.
But an additional formal half boot works perfectly with jeans, chinos, or dressy slacks. Some can even be worn with suits, although good dress shoes are more applicable in very formal settings.
Bonus: Minimal Sneakers
Formality level: very casual to terribly casual; not applicable for formal environments
Defining characteristics: uniform color (usually white), without decoration or stigma, elegant silhouette, made of premium animal skin
Quick Disclaimer: The sneaker area unit generally not applied in any type of business casual setting, at least not historically.
But I wanted to incorporate them here because they are becoming more acceptable in modern offices, especially in big cities and coastal regions.
At the very least, they work well for casual Friday outfits, as long as you pair them with some smart, understated sneakers (eg Koio Capri, not Stan Smiths).
Stick with solid colors and premium animal skin or suede, and pair your sneakers with skinny jeans, chinos, or wool pants.
You can even wear a jacket with sneakers but remember: most men shouldn’t be trying to make it big in the full suit with sneakers. It’s not an easy look to get right, so be careful!
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