A Few Shoe Suggestions for Spring/Summer 2012
Before I show you the goods, let’s be perfectly clear on something: I’m not going to show you the latest fashion trends in shoes. Not even close.
The shoes I’m about to recommend have been around for years and they still will be for some time. They are STYLISH not FASHIONABLE. This means they’ll look good and be in trend for YEARS to come.
Forget about fashion for a moment because a good pair of shoes should last you at least 4-5 years. (I’ll show you how to prolong your shoes lifetime at the end, by the way.)
For spring, a nice pair of leather shoes will do the trick. You have to options here: you can go for regular leather, such as:
photo: Leffot.com
These classic brogues have an amazing reddish brown color and will go great with:
– khakis
– green, brown, red and taupe chinos
– grey and brown suits
– green, yellow, brown and white tops (shirts, V-necks etc.)
Brogues seem to be everyone’s favorite type of shoe these days. You can wear them with almost anything:
photo: gq.com
If you already have brogues (you should!) then you’re ready to move on to a different type of shoe: the monk strap. Let’s take a look at this double monk strap of a darker brown:
photo: Leffot.com
Just like brogues, you can wear them both in a business meeting, at the office or when going out. (Avoid wearing them too much in crowded nightclubs, though. Nobody will see them and you might ruin them if lots of people accidentally step on your toes.)
All right, let’s move on to suede. I’ve managed to get a lot of suede shoes lately (you’ve probably seen my spectator shoes and I can’t tell you the attention they got in the streets) so here’s what I’m recommending:
photo: Leffot.com
Here’s how you would wear chukka boots.
If it’s summer, you can skip the socks or, better yet, go for the “no show socks” that I always recommend to my style students.
This pair of chukka boots is great for spring and even summer. I know you think you can’t wear boots in the summer but fashion and style have lots of surprises.
Chukka boots and desert boots work great even when it’s hot outside, despite their name. Just make sure you wear them with a no-show or a low-cut sock, to keep your perspiration from penetrating the shoe.
The following pair of spectator shoes is great for spring, but you have to be a little more advanced in style to be able to wear it:
photo: Leffot.com
If you think it’s too much, just stick with style for at least 2 years and I guarantee that you’ll change your mind.
Too hot outside for classic leather shoes? Let’s see some examples of shoes that you should wear exclusively during the summer. How about these boat shoes?
Dark-olive is a nice neutral color that works well with most colors.
photo: Leffot.com
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Want something even more casual? How about a nice pair of espadrilles?
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Espadrilles are towards the casual end of the shoes spectrum, if you will. The only things I can think of that are more casual than them are sandals and slipper.
You CAN wear espadrilles in the city, though they’re best suited for the beach. Up to you.
Let’s see a full outfit involving espadrilles. Would you wear it?
photo:
Funny, I already published this article when I remembered I didn’t give you my tips to prolong your shoes’ lifetime. Here they are:
1. Wear them by rotation. Give them at least 24 hours of rest.
2. Always shine your shoes. Shoe shining is not just for aesthetics but it has an important role in keeping the leather in shape.
3. Pay special attention to suede. Don’t wear suede shoes if it’s raining outside. After you do wear them, use a cleaning brush + suede spray to brush off the dust and keep the leather in top shape.
