5 Types of Men's Formal Shoes and How to Wear Them

Tom Ford, the famous fashion designer, once said "Shoes are always the most important thing for me because they are who you are. They change the way you walk, the way you move."

True, the shoes you wear impact not just your style and outfit, but also your personality and body language. It is, hence, essential that you wear them well; and this fact holds true for men and women both.

Since men spend most of their time at workplaces or work-related outings - offices, meetings, formal events, formal dinners etc; the most utilizable footwear for them are formal shoes. Explained below are five different types of men’s formal footwear with styling tips for each.

Type 1: Oxfords

The most popular of all formal footwear, Oxfords are simple, sleek shoes with integrated laces. Elegantly designed, oxfords are a must-have pair for all men. Although they are available in a number of neutral colors, black shoes and brown shoes are the most commonly used ones.

Styling Tip: Ideal to go with formal trousers, Oxfords can be used for daily office wear.

Type 2: Dress Boots

It is a general presumption that boots are to be teamed with casual wear; however, this is not entirely correct. Boots with length up to the ankle give a formal and classy appeal. Chelsea and lace-boots are the ones that can be matched with formal wear.

Styling Tip: Use basic, plain boots for semi-formal events like a Sunday lunch with clients, a weekend outdoor meeting with office colleagues; or any formal event outside the office wherein a full-formal suit would not be appropriate.

Type 3: Formal Pumps

A perfect replacement for the oxfords, formal pumps (also known as opera pumps) are loafer-like dress shoes created using black patented leather. These formal shoes match impeccably with formal black-tie outfits and usually have a shiny texture.

Styling Tip: Apt for black-tie events, formal pumps go well with tuxedos and business suits.

Type 4: Monk-straps

Monk-straps are ideal for the unique-shoe seekers.  These shoes have buckled straps instead of the laces. They are available in single and double clasp designs; with colors of the clasps typically being silver, brass, or gold. 

Styling Tip: Monk-straps attract attention, so it is advised to wear them to special events and office functions. Make sure that the color of the clasp matches with the color of your belt buckle, tie bar, cufflinks, and wrist watch.

Type 5: Loafers

Comfortable, stylish, and easy to slip on and off, loafers are just the right footwear for business travels. Loafers are mostly casual, therefore, for it to gel with your semi-formal attires, invest in one which is sleek, dark in color, and extremely simple in design.

Styling Tip: Loafers look smart with suits if you are not wearing a neck-tie. Also, make sure that the visibility of your socks is less when wearing loafers.

To sum up, formal shoes are footwear that has to be worn by men almost 80% of their time. Thus, it is imperative that they own different pairs in various colors to suit all of their formal occasions thereby maintaining variety, style, and class.