Growing your shoe tree
Dig through the closet of most men and chances are good you’ll find 87 sneakers and maybe one pair of plain lace-ups, for those special occasions, when Mom is present.
But what about the vast territory in between -- the dressy parties, holiday events, serious dates? The sneaks won’t cut it. The lace-ups are way too conservative. And shoe shopping is daunting: Is a monk strap ever a good idea?
The right footwear can take a casual outfit up a notch, or make a monochromatic suit more festive. To start off the new year on the right foot, we’ve tapped Hollywood stylist Lawren Sample -- who has dressed (and shod) a long list of clients, including Ashton Kutcher, Luke Wilson, Patrick Dempsey and Milo Ventimiglia. Here are her best pointers on filling the middle ground of your shoe portfolio.
Rock the boot
If you add just one pair to the mix, it should be a basic black or brown dress boot. “Because they’re so versatile,” Sample says. “Lately I’ve been using a couple of boots from John Varvatos. One cuts just above the ankle and the other just a bit higher.” A lower boot looks slightly more formal; the higher one gives off more attitude. Either can do double duty, dressing up jeans or relaxing the look of a suit.
Get a patent
Even though the tuxedo’s popularity has waned, don’t ditch the patent leather lace-ups. A pair of the shiny shoes -- the ones most men wear maybe half a dozen times a decade -- is a great way to kick a casual outfit up a notch. You can cadge a used pair from a tuxedo rental shop for about $30. Or, Sample recommends Allen Edmonds’ Copley ($315) as a versatile option. “I put Andy Samberg in a matte black version of the same shoe,” she says of the Clifton style, also $315, “for the premiere of ‘Hot Rod,’ paired with a gray J. Lindeberg suit.”
Block the box
Oh, and we hate to break it to you, but square-toed shoes make you look fat. Seriously. Sample explains that since they run counter to the foot’s natural shape, blunt-toed shoes -- especially the ones with thick soles -- will not do you any favors. “It’s a horrible look,” she says. “And no one will notice your suit because their eyes will be drawn to that big, boxy shoe.”
Earn your points
On the other hand, a narrower shoe can instantly make a guy look thinner by elongating the line of the leg (the same reason women love pointy-toed pumps). If you’re feeling fashion forward, go all-out and tackle the pointy shoe. Says Sample: “Some people can carry it off -- like Terrence Howard. He’s down with a pointy, pointy orange ostrich skin shoe. Put him in that with an orange pocket square and a plaid shirt and he looks good.” If you’re not ready to rock the orange ostrich, trust us: You’re not ready for the pointy toe.
Mix it up
The simpler the outfit, the more fun you can have with the shoe. But buckles and other hardware should be avoided -- too distracting. (“If you really feel the need for a buckle, it should be higher up on the shoe,” Sample says, the way it is on a Gucci loafer.) Wingtips make a smart addition to the shoe portfolio once the basics are covered -- they have some detail but a subtle amount. She points to Chad Michael Murray, who turned up at the Monte Carlo Television Festival in a pair of two-tone black patent leather and gray suede Viktor & Rolf shoes. “Since he was in a simple black suit and black tie, the shoes made the outfit look cool.”
Hit the warehouse -- and EBay
“You see all these hip kids in jeans and beat-up looking dress shoes they get at J. Lindeberg,” she says of the cutting-edge menswear line. “You can get the same kind of shoes a lot cheaper at DSW [Designer Shoe Warehouse] and distress them yourself. I often get shoes for fashion shoots there. It’s also good for basics like round-toe dress shoes or the patent tux shoes. But you need to know exactly what you’re looking for, because you can go in looking for a round-toe shoe and come out with one -- but the heel’s so thick it practically looks as boxy as a square toe.”
For the shoe of the moment, you’ll want to check Dad’s closet. “Vintage Ballys are the hot shoe right now,” she says. “I put Seth Rogen in a deep burgundy pair for a Maxim shoot with black pants, a black sweater and a black jacket with silver buttons. It was a plain outfit, and I’m a strong believer that you can do fun things like that as long as your outfit is not that far out there.” If you can’t score a pair from your dad or a vintage shop, Sample advises checking out EBay.
Where, as of this writing, a pair of vintage Bally loafers in burgundy could be bought for $79.99.
