Steph & Shoes

by Stephan Seguin
Dec 22, 2015
4 min read

It would seem that I like to start my posts by sharing information that is for the most part common knowledge such as girls (being a fashionista or not), going crazy for shoes....that's no secret. Like I said, its common knowledge. However, guys on the other hand, not so much. Don't get me wrong, there are exceptions but for the most part, men are very basic and simple with not much fuss. They are fine with the basic shoes, the basic sneakers, the basic shirts, the basic suits, the basic ties (all of which will be featured in future posts)....pretty much the basic everything until that item is worn to complete shreds and to the end of its existence. Take for instance Michael Bloomberg as I quote columnist Jemima Lewis, of the Telegraph UK from one of her pieces from 2010.... "The eight richest man in America revealed this week that he only owns two pairs of work shoes. Both are unassuming black slip-ons, which he bought in 2002. "One day he'll wear one, the next the other - and when they get worn down, he has them resoled," Bloomberg's spokesman confirmed. "He could buy any shoes he wanted, but he likes these."

Me, I'm not that guy. I'm one of those exceptions. I go crazy for shoes and I have more shoes than I care to admit (a good 150 pairs or so). One might say that's a little excessive for a man when a basic full range of shoes for a man consists of about 8 pairs. I guess I'm a 142 pairs over the basic full range needs!! For me, whenever I see a hot new pair of shoes, I'm like a kid in a candy store or for a better visual, picture this....Kids scattering out of their homes and running wild after the ice cream truck with its bell going ding-a-ling, ding-a-ling and they're screaming "I want ice cream, I want ice cream". Well that's me running to the store, mentally saying to myself, "I want those shoes, I need those shoes" and then already visualizing a few possible outfits I could wear with these fabulous new shoes justifying the purchase and making me more at ease with the whole situation of buying yet another pair of shoes. It can be stressful, trust me!! lol

They say you can tell a man by his shoes. There are so many things said about a guy and the shoes he wears, not all of which I would agree however, the following from a Huffington Post article I concur with....

"The eyes might be the window to the sould, but shoes are the window to just about everything else. What you choose to put on your feet actually does reflect something about you, whether is be laziness (socks with slip-on sandals), obliviousness (untied sneakers) or keen style savvy (those trendy suede desert boots we love so much).

Plus, it's been reported that women judge men's shoes twice as much as men judge women's shoes -- so guys, it pays to step up your footwear game".

Trust me, when you meet a girl for the first time she will be checking you out from head to toe and making her mental checklist....do you have clean teeth, nice hair, healthy skin, good posture, nice clean fingernails and last but not least your shoes. They are the most worn item from your wardrobe and they can tell so much about you. Are you wearing lace-ups or loafers, sneakers, trainers or boots, dress shoes or brogues, are they well kept and polished or scuffed and beat up? Your shoes can reveal your taste - whether you are high maintenance or what you value - essentially your masculinity can be conveyed by you/re wearing on your feet. Perception is everything and details matter, they really do.

So guys, here is a full range list of your 8 basic needed shoes. The colors in which you choose to buy your shoes is entirely up to you and how you see fit to what best accommodates your wardrobe. And remember the following "Four Footwear Rules" by The Art of Manliness....

1) Wear the right shoe for the occasion

2) Invest in quality

3) Never sacrifice proper fit and comfort

4) Take care of your shoes

***PLEASE NOTE***

My personal choice and one-stop shop for all of the below mentioned shoe types (and then some is @crockettandjones_official - however here are a few other notable mentions for a variety of shoes - Grenson, Church's, Ralph Lauren, Louis Vuitton, John Lobb, Tricker's, TOD'S, Cheaney's, Magnanni and Paul Parkman.

- THE BROGUES • (CLIFFORD BROGUE OXFORD - Tan Antique Calf Leather)

@crockettandjones_official