Soft soled shoes
Has lockdown got you wedded to your trainers? Have you worn little else but are now ready for a change?
I'm guilty as charged, and if you are too and getting bored of trainers or need to smarten up a bit then check out these soft soled shoes. These are the ones I've been looking at recently and buying with clients, which fill the gap between smart and casual - a gaping hole in many men's wardrobes, so as well as being comfy, they're also versatile.
I haven't shopped in Camper for ages, but these shoes were super successful on a shopping trip last week.....so much so, that he's already been back in to buy another pair! One of the requirements was that he was able to take out the inner sole so he could fit his orthotics into them instead, and you can do that on these shoes. The other thing we were looking to do, was to fill the gap in his shoe wardrobe between the smart black Oxfords and the black sporty trainers he owned.....these fit the bill (haha - see name below!) perfectly, plus they introduced another colour for some variety.
'Bill' brown lace up shoes - Camper - £130
A friend of mine has had multiple pairs of the boot version of these Sanders shoes and was raving about them (and finding it very difficult to resist buying another pair!) when we went into the John Rushton store together. I've yet to buy any of them with my clients but I'm definitely adding them to the list of potential smart casual shoes.
They'd look great with some grey jeans and a black merino wool cardigan, or if you wanted to go a step smarter, with flannel trousers (love these chino style ones) and a blazer. And if you haven't worn grey flannel trousers before, check out this post I wrote awhile ago on "Five looks with grey flannel trousers".
Low top 'Gibson' black suede shoes - Sanders at End Clothing - £205
These boots must be very popular as Paul Smith have carried through the 'Cleon' style for quite sometime now. I've bought them in the past with clients as they're great with jeans and a sweatshirt for casual wear or chinos and a fine knit sweater for the days you go into the office - and not such a big step away from your comfy lockdown trainers either. You're welcome :-)
Men's brown matte finish leather 'Cleon' boots - Paul Smith - £200
And here's another pair I got with a client - you can remove the insoles from all of the shoes in Ecco which is handy for the orthotic wearers amongst you. My client went down a size in these, so if you're ordering online, then you might like to take that into consideration and buy 2 sizes. They've got similar ones with black soles but I preferred these as the white sole looked more modern and gave them a sporty edge, and I also like the perforated style as it looks more unusual.
Black men's casual 'St.1 Hybrid' - Ecco - £119
If you need a smarter pair but still want the comfort of trainers, then go for these elegant suede Derbies. If you're worried about wearing suede in winter - don't be, they have water resistant 'Go Rain' uppers, and with the extra light soles, they'll be a great choice for work occasions and smarter weekend wear.
Dark brown suede 'Balance' shoes - Harry's of London - £495
Do you struggle to get the smart/casual dress code right and are not sure quite what to wear now you're going back into the office a couple of days a week? Let me help! You can book in for a personal shopping trip below or alternatively ask someone to buy a Gift Voucher for you for Christmas?!
Need more inspiration for other parts of your wardrobe? Check these out:
