Top 5 Essential Dress Shoes Every Man Should Add in Their Shoe Collection

Whether you’re heading out for a super formal event like a wedding, heading into a new role and needing to nail the interview, or just enjoying the company of your small work team at a function, we all know that dress shoes can make or break an outfit. Often with so much effort being put into the type of blazer, which type of tie to wear (or lose), which colour dress shirt, which cut of pants, and more, the shoes really seal off your look and can turn it from a collection of garments into a composed, stylish whole.

Dress shoes are a crucial part of any collection, and while we stock almost all shapes and sizes here at JENNEN shoes, we want to run you down with just five of the most important, essential ones, that should see you ready for any event or situation. Whether you’re starting up a brand new wardrobe from scratch or building your already well-curated collection, these five make up the most vital dress shoes to own.

1. Black Oxford Shoes

This one is pretty obvious, but that doesn’t stop them from being a crucial one to own and represent in your collection. It’s a timeless classic, and is able to be worn to just about any formal event that exists. It also carries the advantage of coming in one colour – a sleek black veneer, which means that you won’t have to spend money grabbing every shade of shoe to suit all the different events you want to head out to.

These are your bread and butter, and can be worn with two and three-piece suits, particularly in shades of black or gray, but also with blazers, a tuxedo, and even black or white tie events. Generally, they will be whole cut models, which means they’re made from one piece of leather and have minimal flair or broguing (the holes you see in some Derby models that gives them a more casual or exotic look), just on account of them being your standard, versatile shoe. At the end of the day, while they are quite plain, they are the baseline or foundational shoe, and should be in every man’s shoe collection!

2. Brown Derby With Broguing

Now, moving on from the baseline of the black oxford, we come to the derby style, which is far less formal than an oxford. The difference between an oxford and the derbys we’re just about to talk about is the closed lacing system, where the bottom of an oxford’s lacing section is sewn closed. This means that oxfords are a bit more rigid, and derbys are a little more flexible – especially when you’ve been wearing them for quite a few hours.

Broguing, as we touched on above, gives the shoe a more casual look and feel, and can also end up leading to more breathability in your shoe. The brown colour of these types of derby also makes it a bit more casual and stylish, with colours ranging all the way from sandy brown through to deep mahogany or chestnut; to suit your personal flavour of course!

You might choose these to hit the road with, or don for a less formal event like a dinner with mates. They go well with other types of brown garment, and can even end up sitting well with floral or pattern printed outfits as well. If black oxfords are your bread and butter, these would honestly come close to being your carton of milk in terms of being a wardrobe staple, as now you’ve got the formal and informal spheres covered; great stuff!

3. Casual Suede/Leather Loafer

Ahh loafers, you’ve got to love them, right? They slip right on, they feel cool, calm, and collected, and they can be an excellent mixup from dress shoes like the aforementioned oxfords and derbys. All the while, they still feel composed and suitable for dress up or dress down situations. They’re modern, while still being classic, and come in many different shapes and sizes.

Primarily, the two main types of loafers are tassel loafers – with a playful little tassel on the front to add a stylish feature element to each shoe, and penny loafers, with a small gap in the front opening that supposedly used to fit a penny inside of. From their origins in the days of old, loafers have too become somewhat of a statement piece, often worn without socks on high cuffed pants or with suspenders for that quintessential look we all know so well.

Loafers are a perfect finishing touch to any smart-yet-stylish look, elevating your look from the plain to the bold and beautiful. If you’re looking to differentiate between the dress shoes we’ve already spoken about, maybe considering a blue suede, or gray colour, could be the way to go. And did we mention boat shoes? Perhaps not, but we’ll leave that one to you!

4. Heeled Boots

Whenever you want to stand tall and really make your presence known, heeled boots can be the way forward. There’s something cool, fresh, and ultramodern about a man in a heeled boot, as well as having the obvious advantages in adding height to your stance. Since we’re talking about dress shoes, something like a chelsea boot would probably fit most comfortably in your collection, and just like loafers they slip right on because of the elastic side panel that defines these heeled boots.

With the slip-on feature as well as the distinctive pull-tab that almost acts as a shoe horn, these boots match chic with function, and can be an excellent fourth choice to deck your wardrobe with. Again to make sure you’re not creating overlaps, you could choose another colour scheme like a rosy red hue, for example. These boots, with a lower heel, are also super comfortable, and suitable for just about any situation, indoors or outdoors!

5. Up To You!

Obviously here at JENNEN Shoes, we want to bring you the most varied, most stylish, most quality elevator shoes on the market. We stock all shapes and sizes, ready to help you stand taller, and our dress shoes are no exception. For your fifth pair that could complete your dress shoe wardrobe, why don’t you investigate a pair that have a funky pattern, like these Van Gogh numbers? What about some Timberland-esque elevator shoes? Perhaps some hardier types of boots?

We think that having a browse of our website could open your eyes to all the different types of dress shoes out there, and could tie off your collection to perfection.

In Summary, Get Out and Buy!

So, we’ve run over five different types of shoes, each with their own advantages, colours, cuts, and more. We’re super confident that with these five in your arsenal, you can be prepared for any situation or moment, making sure you look amazing, attractive, and timeless wherever you go. We’re certain that these shoes can make you look and feel fantastic, and our great prices mean that you won’t break the bank while decking out your shoe cabinet either. Have a look at our range today, and if you’re starting a new collection or adding to an old one, we’ve got you covered!