How to choose the right men's leather shoes?

The choice of leather shoes should be approached with all seriousness, especially if your budget is limited: the purchased pair should be comfortable and practical, the material should not be too capricious for weather conditions, and the style of the shoes should fit the required style of clothing. We will talk more about how to choose shoes below.

Types of men's shoes

To begin with, let's figure out what types of men's shoes exist and how to choose men's shoes, based on the purpose of wearing them.

Oxfords

These are classic men's shoes, which are characterized by the presence of closed lacing and a seamless transition from the cuffs to the vamp. As a rule, they are performed in black or dark brown colors. Oxford shoes look very elegant and well complement the image of a business person, but in an informal style of clothing they will look out of place. You should not choose men's oxford shoes to wear with jeans, but under a suit they just fit very well.

Derby

Unlike oxfords, derby lacing is open, the berets are sewn on top of the vamp, and the straps for the laces can diverge to the sides when lacing. Such classic men's shoes look less formal than oxford shoes, so they are not tied to one style of clothing.

brogues

Many record brogues as separate types of men's shoes, but they find similarities with both derbies and oxfords, which causes confusion. The fact is that brogues characterize men's shoes in terms of the presence of decorative perforations in it - patterns of holes in the skin. Perforation can be on both oxfords and derbies, which fundamentally differ from each other not by perforation, but by lacing. It is worth noting that although brogues are now worn in a business style, they should be chosen with caution for official events - the same oxford brogues look less restrained due to perforation.

Moccasins

If you need comfortable shoes for everyday wear, then you can choose moccasins. It is especially good to wear them in hot weather. Moccasins do not have a separate sole, and in front you can often see laces that perform a decorative function. It is worth choosing moccasins for relaxing and walking, as these are not sports or business shoes.

loafers

Externally, loafers are very similar to moccasins. They also lack lacing, but they differ from moccasins in a more pronounced sole and heel. The decorative element of loafers is widely known - this is a tassel on the front of the berets. Once upon a time, loafers were a sign of a business person, but now they can be worn everywhere - both for work and for a walk.

Monkey

You will get a versatile pair of shoes if you decide to choose men's monk shoes. A characteristic feature of such shoes is the complete absence of lacing and decorative straps sewn on top of the berets. If you want to choose monks for work in the office with a strict dress code, choose a dark-colored one-strap model, made of smooth leather without perforations.

Leather shoes: choose the material

Calf leather boasts the highest quality, so it is valued above all and is most often used to make shoes. It is good because it has high strength, softness and smoothness. Goat skin has similar properties.

Pigskin leather shoes are much cheaper, but they do not look very presentable, so pigskin is less and less used as the main material for shoes. The elasticity of such skin leaves much to be desired, and it also gets wet very quickly.

The skin also differs in the type of finish.

The most convenient and easy to use is the so-called smooth skin. If you want to choose practical leather shoes that will not cause much trouble when caring for them, then choose models made of smooth leather.

Polished leather requires special personal care - smooth, shiny, but tough, which can be scratched very quickly. The prices for products made from it and from smooth leather are not fundamentally different, so think about whether it is worth overpaying for additional chores.

Products made of polished leather look interesting, but they are characterized by low wear resistance, since during grinding, its upper layer is removed from the skin. Not very practical to use and maintain.

Patent leather is a beautiful, but very capricious option. Too low or high temperatures, or temperature changes, as well as wet weather are not suitable for wearing such shoes. Lacquer shoes do not differ in durability, as they can crack quite quickly.

And finally, should you choose suede shoes? Suede is not the most practical type of leather trim, as it needs special care. It is very susceptible to pollution, but at the same time it is comfortable and the legs “breathe”. If you wear such shoes only in dry weather and follow all the rules for caring for them, then they will last a very long time.

To choose a pair that is exactly your size, go for a fitting in the late afternoon, with the expectation that by this time your legs will be tired and a little swollen. If you buy shoes in the morning, then in the evening you will feel cramped in them.

In the store, put on a pair and walk at least a short distance. Listen to your sensations in your legs. You should feel comfortable, there should be no constraint anywhere, nothing should press. Do not reassure yourself with the thought that then the couple will spread - if it starts to press already in the store, you can be sure that you will not avoid corns later.