Top Ten Dress Shoes You Should Own

  I wrote about the first dress shoe you should purchase, I think having a list of ten shoes you should have in your closet is a good follow up to that. This list is going to be in order of purchase, meaning number one is the first purchase, and number ten should be your last purchase. Also please note, this is my opinion. You may have a different order based on your needs and personal style. So without further adieu lets get started!

1. Black Cap Toe Oxfords 
  This is just going to reiterate another post of mine. Your first ever dress shoe you ever buy should be a black cap toe leather oxford. No if's, and's, or but's about it. 

2. Brown Cap Toe Oxfords 
  The second shoe you should purchase is another conservative and simple shoe and that is the brown, cap toe leather oxford. The reason this is number two is because it is another shoe that fits almost any situation and outfit. Unless you are wearing a black suit, a brown shoe will match anything you pair it with. The best thing about brown shoes is there are more than one shade of brown. You can have a dark brown, mid-brown, tan, and oxblood (burgundy.) I would say dark or mid-brown are your best options but if you want to get a tan or oxblood shoe then go for it. But this should be your number two.

3. Semi-Brogues
   So far the shoes I have recommended have been very understated and simple. Which is what you want if you are say a lawyer or work for a very conservative company. For those situations you don't want to stand out to much. But if you are like me then you want to have a bit more fun with your clothes, which is why my number three is a brown semi-brogue oxford. Some people may say that a third shoe should be a wingtip, also known as a full brogue, in brown or black. Not for me, your third shoe should still be able to be worn in a business setting. For example business casual or casual Friday. A semi-brogue is perfect for this, and if done correctly can be worn with a suit. A semi-brogue is simply a shoe with hole like perforations along the toe cap and around the lacing of the shoe. It also has what is called a medallion on the toe of the shoe, which is a decorative brogue design.

4. Blucher or Derbys

   Now that you have two pairs of cap toe oxfords and one pair of semi-brogues, what should number four be? Well since the first three pairs were oxfords, your next shoe should buy should be a Blucher or a derby. What is the difference? Not much really, but what makes it different from an oxford is that it has it has an open lacing system meaning the eye holes for are on two flaps of leather. It is a slightly more casual shoe than an oxford but can still be easily worn with a suit, with brogueing or a cap toe. Also the color is up to you, either black or a shade of brown. Personally I am a fan of brown shoes, but is black is more your thing then go for it.

5. Dress Boots 

Chelsea Boot

Chukka Boot

  My number five shoe actually isn't a dress shoe at all, rather it is a dress boot. I think having a dress boot is great for many reasons. One of them is it's versatility, it can be worn with a suit or a pair of jeans and a flannel shirt. There are actually two options for this one, either a chukka or a Chelsea boot. A chukka boot is an ankle high lace up boot with between two and four eyelets, and a chelsea boot is a slip on boot with rubber u-shaped goring on the side of the shoe. You can get either one fits your personal style or even both of them if you feel so inclined. I think the best color for these two boots is either tan or oxblood, making them a bit more versatile.





6. Full Brogues AKA Wingtips Oxfords
  I'm sure some of you are saying, "Finally he talks about wingtips!" The reason there are so low on my list is because they are a much more casual dress shoe. The thing about brogueing is, the more you have, the less formal the shoe is. A full brogue shoe, while very stylish, is not very formal and is fit more for business casual settings. Can it be worn with a suit? Yes, if it is a more casual suit. Just don't wear it with your formal business attire, and never wear it with black tie. For those of you who don't know, a wingtip is a brogued shoe with a "W" shaped toe cap that are called wings. You can go either a shade of brown or black, either one looks great.
                                                   



7. Double Monk Straps
  Now that you have plenty of lace up shoes, you need a nice pair of dress shoes you can slip on. While most people would opt for a pair of loafers, I would recommend a nice pair of double monk straps. Because this shoe lacks laces, it is a very casual option. It can maybe work in a business casual setting, but it is really suited for weekend and going out with friends. While you can find them in black, I recommend getting them in tan or oxblood. Because they are very casual, black wouldn't really match the formality of the rest of the shoe.


                                    


8. Duplicate of Previous Choice
  Number eight isn't a new type of shoe because you already should have seven others to choose from. This one is where you choose your favorite of the previous options and get it again in maybe a different color. Say you got an oxblood wingtip, get another in tan, or maybe you want to get another black cap toe oxford. The reason you would want a duplicate shoe is so you don't wear out the one you already have. Say you wear your black cap toes everyday to work, eventually you will wear them out even if you get a very high end brand. Having a duplicate of the same shoe allows you to spread the wear over two different shoes. Think of it as having two sets of tires you swap out on your car every other week.


9. Whole Cut Oxfords
 The whole cut oxford maybe a style of dress that isn't as well known. All it is, is an oxford dress shoe that is one solid piece of leather. No toe caps and no brogueing. It is a very formal shoe, but it gets my number nine spot because it isn't as versatile as say a cap toe oxford. It can still be worn with business suits and even black tie when polished well. I recommend black for this shoe because it is a formal style.





10. Spectator Shoes

Congratulations, you have nine amazing dress shoe. You now have footwear for any formality you would find yourself in. Now you can start having some fun. My favorite fun shoe is called the spectator shoe, also called specs, they are a two toned shoes with some kind of brogueing to separate  the colors. The are very casual shoes, the most casual on this list in fact. They can be found in wingtips, semi-brogue, and any other kind of brogue shoe design. I highly recommend getting a tan and white combo, it is a great summer shoe to wear with a blue sport coat and white chinos. They are shoes for people who want to stand out.

That is my list! If you follow this list you will have a very timeless, and classic shoe collection. Want more shoes after this? Get whatever kind of dress shoes you want. Get some interesting leathers as well such as suede, crocodile, or maybe alligator. I hope you found this list helpful, thanks for reading!