Choosing quality shoes is important, but it’s not all about that! You regularly ask us which pair to choose for which occasion .
There are several families of dress shoes, not all of them work with the same outfit. Choosing the right shoes allows you to bring a formal touch to an outfit or, conversely, to gain relaxation. It’s up to you to appropriate the codes to better reinterpret them.
NO BEAUTIFUL SHOES WITHOUT QUALITY MATERIALS
Always keep in mind that the beauty of a pair depends on its quality. All this is explained in our guide to choosing the right shoes. .
Before even talking about style, make sure you have a sewn or sewn and glued fit, whether it’s Blake, Goodyear / welt, Norwegian stitch … Regularity and sturdiness are two masters. words !
For the material, choose a well-tanned leather with a deep color, a pleasant and sensual touch, but especially no creases marked from the first step!
In terms of price, with a few exceptions, it is difficult to find a shoe of very good quality, durable and well made, less than 200 € (excluding sales) 1.
Add to that fifty euros for a pair of shoe trees, a cleansing milk, a nourishing / tinting cream as well as a shoe polish, and you will make an investment that you will surely not regret!
Attention, cult video : Olga Berluti explains in her sweet voice how to take care of your shoes. A great moment of sensuality …
If you really are short financially, better to wait for the sales … Although the prices are unbeatable, you will not find anything durable or of quality at Eram, Gémo, La Halle or the other mass-market brands.
THE MOST CLASSIC: THE RICHELIEU / OXFORD FOR MEN
Originally, the Richelieu were extremely formal and noble shoes. It is the model par excellence to wear with a suit . Its elegance is due to its great finesse , to the purity of its lines. We recognize the Richelieu by two things:
No flaps. The upper, simply split, moves aside to allow the foot to pass through when putting on: we speak of closed lacing. Once laced, the shoe therefore regains a fine line, as close as possible to the foot.
A Blake or similar assembly, that is to say without a welt welt, the outside seams of which could weigh down the line of the shoe.
black oxford scarosso
Here, a black Richelieu from Scarosso. Impossible to be more formal, to reserve for special occasions!
Often made from a single cut of leather, the Richelieu is the most elongated model, with a tapered shape most of the time.
Some perforated models with a thicker sole are called “brogues” , they are also available in derby. Several contemporary interpretations of the Richelieu divert their first formal use, with many twists that bring novelty.
meermin grain leather brogue
Richelieu with flowered toe and grained leather, an interpretation by Meermin.
HOW TO WEAR RICHELIEU?
Better to start gently and respect the codes of formal elegance . Diversions are possible, but it is really in a very dressy outfit that the Richelieu are best highlighted.
men’s camel blue brogue suit look
A marked contrast between the color of the costume and that of the shoe gives relief to an outfit. Fanatics will cry foul of taste if the shoes are a shade lighter or darker than the costume, but that is another question.
For a more relaxed atmosphere, the models worked in a less strict spirit offer beautiful proposals. Jeans and chinos will go very well with the weekend Richelieu on one condition: avoid the pair of Richelieu all black, all (too?) Simple!
men’s casual brogue shoes
Here, a very personal reinterpretation mixing casual and formal elements. The two-tone Oxfords make the ensemble both elegant and nonchalant, real artist’s shoes!
