As many professional stylists and wardrobe consultants will tell you, men (especially North American men) have a bad habit when it comes to ignoring their footwear. Witness, for example, the number of guys who, as soon as the weekend roles around, can’t wait to throw on the same pair of ratty sneakers or cheap outdoor mocs. With winter only a short time away, it may be time to rethink your footwear and invest in a pair of classy casual boots.
Although most things in men’s fashion creep along at a snail’s pace, footwear trends change quickly; this is true for boots as well, which come and go from popularity every few years. Unfortunately though, a lot of men have been turned off from boots because of short-lived trends.
For example, back in the 80’s it was common for power-suit wearing, CEO-types to drop thousands of dollars on hand-embroidered cowboy boots to wear on Wall Street. But while the contrast collar shirt has been salvaged from this era, the urban buckaroo quickly found its rightful place in the fashion bone-yard. Or, just a few years ago, it was all the rage to wear boots with impossibly pointy toes which claimed to be “European” – the only thing European about these monstrosities was their resemblance to the shoes worn by court jesters during the Renaissance. Last but not least, do we need to mention the ill-fated attempts to market knee-high furry Eskimo boots to men?
Despite these trends, with a little time and searching it is possible to find a pair of casual boots that compliment the rest of your wardrobe and survive the slings and arrows of changing fashions. Above all else, steer clear of “lifestyle” boots – i.e. boots that are meant to be worn during specific activities or which show membership in some kind of group, for example boots meant for motorcycling, paramilitary use or Marilyn Manson concerts. During high school, when you’re young and trying build an identity based around your clothing purchases it’s fine to buy pieces that show your involvement in a particular scene or clique, but a grown man shouldn’t have to rely on clothing alone to broadcast his personality. Look for simple colors, classic fastenings, and solid construction and you should be fine.
Once you track down a suitable pair boots, keep in mind that for the most part, these rugged footwear items look best when worn outside of work. For one thing, most boots are too bulky to work well with many forms of professional attire. Also, if you have a habit of putting your feet up, an exposed boot sticking out from your pant leg can be off-putting. During casual dinners, or strolls through the park, boots can be a ruggedly welcome addition to both sports shoes and business loafers.
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