Shoes are a critical part of your wardrobe and one of the first things folks notice about you. That’s why it’s so important that correct and stylish #naijamen pay close attention to their shoes – how you buy them, how you combine them with your other wardrobe items and how you keep them in good condition.
We have picked a few useful tips just for you.
- Appearance matters
It is very key to ensure that your shoes look good and well kept at all times. Shoes don’t need to be expensive to look good if they are properly cleaned. Learn how to shine your shoes or if you don’t have time for that, you need a correct shoe shiner be that. Nothing puts off as much as a pair of dusty or mud-caked shoes. Bro, don’t dull your own sparkle with dusty shoes 🙂
- Dress – or should we say “shoe” – for the occasion
In the same way you choose your outfits based on the occasion or where you are going, your shoes should be appropriate for the purpose. Even if you work in a semi-formal environment, slippers or flip-flops are a no-no for the office. For the office environment, you should either wear formal Oxfords like the Call It Spring style below or loafers for the more flexible office.
- Wearing open sandals? A pedicure might be in order 🙂
If you thought pedis are only for #naijababes, you better think again. If as a man you often wear sandals, then you should seriously put getting a pedicure on your to do list. Nothing is as off-putting as a dude who wears sandals with disgustingly dirty or tacky toenails in full public display. A pedicure doesn’t make you a sissy – just a classy man who knows how to put his best foot forward.
- Keep an eye on the colours
There are a few rules to keep in mind when it comes to shoe colours for men. Generally, especially for formal clothing, it is advisable that your shoes be a darker shade than your pants. Even if you wear shoes and pants of the same colour, your shoes should be a darker shade. Lighter colours, such as the Shoe Artists Loafers below often go better with traditional outfits than suits.
- Choose the right accessories to go with your shoes
Your shoes must coordinate with other key accessories. Generally, the rule of thumb is to ensure that the colours of your shoes and belt match – so, if you wear black shoes, you should ideally not use a brown belt and vice versa. Your socks should also coordinate between your shoes and pants, versus being an outrageously contrasting colour.
- Buy the right shoes to suit your personal style
There’s no need to be a slave to trends. Buy shoes that are classy, durable and appropriately align to your personal style. There’s no point buying a pair of shoes with good money and end up wearing only a few times because you are not comfortable with the look. Also, remember to always choose shoes that fit right, rather than those that simply look good. If your shoes are ill-fitting, you will move funny and definitely look funny.
- Buy durable shoes that will serve you a long time
It is very important to buy shoes that are good quality and will serve you a long, long time. Sometimes, you need to look beyond the initial price tag and ask yourself how long before you have to replace your shoes – you can buy an N12,500 pair of shoes which last for barely a year, whereas you could add an extra N5,000 to buy a quality pay which will last over 3 years.
That’s all for this post. Got any tips of your own? Be sure to share in the Comments section below. Cheers!