Here I’m talking about men’s bold dress shoes.
How do you define bold shoes and why would you want to wear them?
Bold shoes are actually quite simple to define or describe. In actuality, there are two defining qualities you might look for.
But first, I want to talk the motivation.
Why Bold Shoes?
Up until my mid-20s, I didn’t give much thought to my appearance or sense of style. I was just a guy in bad clothes, and I was committing every rookie mistake in the book without even realizing it.
I’ve finally begun attempting to dress decently and caring about style. My goal was to just steer clear of errors.
I wasn’t attempting to draw attention to myself by dressing differently or by being a guy in a nice outfit.
I simply wanted to avoid standing out as a guy with shabby clothing. Just trying to steer clear of mistakes.
After a few years, I’ve made significant advancements in my way of style.
Now that I know how to avoid making mistakes with what I wear, I feel rather confident. And my wardrobe is quite well-rounded. It is prepared for every situation.
Depending on where you are in your style journey, you may want to take greater risks and venture outside of your comfort zone once you feel confident and at ease with style and how you dress.
Trend-testing seems to be something I want to do more of. I started acquiring some unique, statement-making attire and accessories that will help me set out from other guys.
You might feel the same way, depending on where you are in your own style journey.
Don’t get me wrong; I don’t follow fashion trends or dress outlandishly. I simply want to add more interesting stuff to my wardrobe and express myself a little bit more through my choices.
The bold shoes, in my opinion, are a brave way to add some interest and flair into your attire.
But I also believe it may go wrong.
There are many shoes available that are advertised as being bold but are actually extremely fashionable or even bordering on ugly.
You must be on the lookout for that.
What to Look For?
There are two things, two qualities you may look for in a bold shoe that will be fashionable and not ludicrous.
The two things are contrasting colors and mixed materials.
First, let’s talk colors.
Colors
Black, brown, and other single-color dress shoes are the norm. Every man owns a pair of brown dress shoes made of leather.
To set yourself apart, and wear a shoe that has a little more zing, a little more spice to it, you can explore a shoe that has more than one color.
For instance, a cap toe, two-tone Oxford shoe in dark brown on light brown.
It’s barely distinguishable from a typical brown shoe.
However, despite being way more interesting, it still has the same traditional outline as any other well-built Oxford.
You may still wear it with a number of outfits and it is still classic and timeless.
But it’s unique. There aren’t many men that would wear a shoe like this.
One interesting observation regarding contrast is that it makes a shoe appear bolder and attracts more attention the more contrast there is.
Additionally, more contrast indicates a more casual attitude.
There isn’t much of a distinction between the two shades of brown—light and dark. But that would be a pretty bold shoe if it were dark brown and light blue. It would attract attention. You would most likely receive some remarks, ideally positive ones.
It would also be a shoe that is by nature more casual.
Materials
Materials can also be combined and matched in the same way to provide an interesting, bold look.
I have a few pairs of suede boots or shoes since I love the material so much.
But a shoe made of leather and suede is something I don’t have and don’t see very often.
A shoe is typically made entirely of leather or suede. However, you can find a shoe made from a combination of materials, like leather and suede, if you prefer a more bold look.
If you only use one material, your shoe lacks the depth, texture, and interest that come from the blending different materials.
Because it isn’t a very prevalent type of shoe, it is a little less adaptable then an all leather shoe, or an all suede shoe.
In comparison to a typical leather shoe, it will be noticed and remembered more.
But that’s the whole point of a bold shoe.
It’s fairly undetectable if it’s brown on brown. Most guys could pull that off because it’s not too outrageous.
The contrast and boldness of the outfit would be increased if you wore shoes made of dark brown leather and blue suede.
You’d undoubtedly draw attention to those shoes and receive comments and compliments on them.
Should Your Wear Bold Shoes?
After discussing what to look for in a bold shoe and what defines a bold shoe, the next logical question is: Should you wear them?
I’ll be honest; not everyone will enjoy them.
You should concentrate on perfecting your basic shoe collection, including your black Oxfords, brown wingtips, possibly burgundy loafers, work boots, sneakers, and other items of that nature.
But once you think your collection is decent, especially in terms of dress shoes, I think it’s a great idea to add at least one pair of bold shoes to it.
You won’t run into another guy wearing a pair of shoes like these, which is a terrific thing.
If you’ve ever encountered someone wearing the identical Allen Edmonds shoes or a J.Crew shirt, you don’t feel all that unique.
So one way to make sure you always look and feel unique is to add a bold shoe to your collection.
Another fantastic feature of a shoe like this is that it sparks conversation. People will comment on it, just like they would with any interesting accessory. It provides people with a cause to engage you in discussion.
The bold shoe’s final advantage is that it exudes confidence.
Because, let’s face it, wearing shoes like these requires a certain level of self-confidence as well as a sense of style.
They are two-toned, have contrasting colors, or combine different types of materials.
Bold shoes therefore give off a subtle way of confidence, which is good for most guys.
