How to Match Your Dress Shoes with Your Suit

Apr 12 , 2022

Jhuti

Tags - How to Match Your Dress Shoes with Your Suit

A well-dressed man is always a sight to behold.

Whether you're going to the office or out for a formal event, it's important to make sure that your outfit is put together correctly.

One of the most important aspects of any outfit is the shoes. And with business wear becoming more and more relaxed, gone are the days when you had to wear black shoes.

However, now that you've got more options, it's very easy to get it wrong.

If you're not sure how to match your dress shoes with your suit, don't worry - we're here to help.

In this blog post, we will discuss the right combos, and what colour shoes look best with different colour suits. Let's get started!

1. Black Suits

Arguably, an all-black suit is the least flexible, and should only be paired with black shoes - avoid brown or burgundy.

Wear any other colour, and you'll just look way too casual, and the truth is, a black suit is not meant for "regular" use.

Typically, you'll only wear a black suit for:

Strict business dress settings
Black tie events
Funerals

And don't worry, black is not boring. If you want to take it up a notch, a black patent leather pair of shoes with a black suit will keep you looking dapper!

2. Navy Blue Suit

Navy suits are great because you can get away with wearing black, brown or burgundy dress shoes comfortably and complete your look.

The reason being, any touch of these colours blend well with a larger amount of blue, without it being too distracting.

Keep in mind though, you can use these colours in subtle ways to affect the "attitude" of the whole outfit, i.e.:

Black = formal
Brown = relaxed/flexible
Burgundy = playful/creative

3. Grey Suit

Grey suits are less formal than navy blue suits, but they too can be paired with either black, brown or burgundy dress shoes.

Usually, light grey suits will be worn in office setups with a more relaxed dress code, but if you are trying to dress more professional, a medium-grey suit with black shoes, white shirt and tie will serve you well.

And for social, smart casual settings, brown and burgundy dress shoes with a patterned shirt works best.

Here, the lighter the suit, the easier it is to apply patterns into the suit as they'll be more visible.

4. Charcoal Suit

Before we jump into what shoes you can wear, let's be clear that you should never wear charcoal grey suits with brown shoes - it's just a no go!

Whilst charcoal grey suits are versatile like navy blue, brown shoes are naturally less formal and give a stark contrast when paired with grey compared to blue.

That said, the best choice is plain black shoes, but a deep burgundy will do a great job at making you look relaxed but still classy. It's also worth noting here that charcoal grey suits add more maturity to the wearer too - navy suits make men look younger, giving more freedom over what colour shoes to pair it with.

5. Brown Suit

You may not have thought of it, but most brown shoes go well with brown suits.

The trick here is to create a visible difference between the shades of the shoe and the suit - if they're both identical, it'll look a little weird.

Generally speaking, you'd want your shoes to be a darker brown than your suit. What we're trying to say here is that you need a clear contrast.

And oxblood or burgundy shoes provide this more easily, but avoid black - brown suits are traditionally seen as casual, and black leather shoes will just simply not match.

The Bottom Line

Now, we're not saying that these matching rules are the law.

Rather, this is a safe guide overall to avoid any hiccups.

However, if the rebel inside you wants to break the rules, do it because you're making a decision, not because you're unaware.

Or, if you're trying to create a unique look that matches your unique personality and style.

Please get in touch to find out more.

In the meantime, check our Smart Casual Shoes for Men here.