Breaking Traditional Barriers for Casual and Formal Wear Shoes

Traditions are the guidelines that define what is appropriate, where. While it is easy to follow the rules and be classy all the time, rules are meant to be broken. By keeping the overall look conservative you can gel with the crowd and stand out by adding a twist to your footwear. A great pair of shoes does not necessarily mean a black leather shoe; it can be anything that compliments your personality, mood and event. You could be in a pair of cobalt blue oxfords and look every bit as classy or even more so than your conservatively dressed counterparts. When you wear your attitude with confidence in the form of shoes that are statement makers, you are never short of attention.

Make sure you have the personality to carry off vivid colours and designs before you kick off in an elongated toe or pop coloured shoe. If you are an introvert and avoid attention like the plague, you should stick to neutral colours like black and brown. But of late, burgundy and olive green have also established themselves as routine colours and you could try to go with them when the urge to splurge on colour strikes.

For the gregarious and outgoing man, the sky is the limit. You could wear any colour from fuchsia, red and orange to ink blue, lime green and many more. Try out contemporary styles in funky colours or funky styles in traditional colours or a blend of eclectic colour scheme and designing to your best advantage. Pair such shoes with muted clothes in basic construction to ensure the shoe remains the focus of attention as it is meant to.

For the truly flamboyant man, a riot of colours only helps define his personality. Not for the faint hearted, he can carry off a patterned shirt with bright chinos and a contrasting shade of shoes. Go in for the trendiest colours of the season and mix and match with contrasting and complementing colours for maximum impact. Go with your instinct and with your attitude to back your instinct, you can rarely go wrong.

More and more people are doing away with dress shoes as the norm for wedding wear and even for the Groom. They prefer to go with their personality and make a unique style statement. It is the same at the office also where the Oxfords are being increasingly replaced by the Monks for their added comfort and trendier look. And the reverse is equally true as well. More young people than before are taking to pairing their distressed jeans, chinos and khakis with balmorals and bluchers. With oodles of confidence and an eye for the funky, you can easily slip from being the classically styled man to the contemporary metro-sexual man who is not afraid to express himself.

Shoe Care Tips

Well made shoes crafted from genuine premium leather are an investment. They call for proper care and maintenance to not just make them as good as new but also to increase their life. A few simple pointers will enable you to care for them and make it a routine that you will follow automatically after some practice.

• Invest in a shoe tree or two – Contrary to popular belief, you don’t need to have as many shoe trees as you have formal shoes. Any shoe needs to use a shoe tree for just an hour or so after being worn. An unpolished cedar wood shoe tree works best as the wood draws out the moisture (sweat) from the shoe and helps it fall back into its original shape. After that you can remove the shoe tree from the shoe.

• Leather shoe polish – Clean the shoe with a soft damp cloth and scrub away any dirt. Apply polish in a circular motion and take little polish each time, taking care not to overdo it. The more you rub, the better the shoe shines. Buff with a horsehair polishing brush and a clean cloth. For best results apply a conditioning lotion with a soft cloth.

• Suede care – Never use a polishing brush but a specific suede brush. When unavailable, a soft toothbrush can be substituted for the same. Nubuck has a finer nap than suede but should also be cleaned using a suede brush or a brush with rubber bristles.

• Air your Shoes – Give your shoes a breather; alternate between shoes and try not to wear a single pair consecutively. This helps in retaining the shape of the shoe as the leather needs time to come back to its original shape.

• Save from Heat and Water – Nothing spoils shoes faster than heat and water. Excessive heat can almost ‘cook’ your shoe’s leather and cause it to crack beyond repair. Excessively moist places or damp shoes attract mould and fungus which when formed on the shoe is near impossible to clean. If you happen to get them wet, stuff them with newspaper to draw out the moisture and let them air dry at room temperature.

• Shoe Bags – When you travel, your shoes tend to rub against each other and will cause scuff marks and stains. To avoid this, use shoe bags to pack them separately and save them from any damage.

• Shoe Horn to the Rescue – Never force your feet into shoes as this can causes them to lose shape from the heel collar and counter area. By using a shoe horn, you can slip on the shoe easily and also prolong its life.

• Home remedy for Salt Stains – For salt stains accumulated on the shoes, rub off with a 50-50 solution of vinegar and water. Ensure that you dry out the shoe completely, after treating with this solution, before storing them. Treat your shoes well and they will see you through many years of comfortable wear.