Shoes have a huge impact on your overall look. But deciding which shoes are the best for the office can be tricky. You want to wear comfortable shoes, but at the same time, you want them to compliment your look.
Office shoes should be extremely comfortable since you will wear them for at least eight hours daily. A good pair of office shoes should match your dress code and the environment at work. It should be chic, corporate, and easy to maintain. Here is a list of office-appropriate shoes for men:
- Oxford Shoes
- Derby Shoes
- Loafers
- Monk Strap Shoes
- Chelsea Boots
Generally, office shoes are dressier and more formal. But you want a pair that is stylish and comfortable. So, consider adding one or more of the above shoes to your shoe collection to avoid being under or over-dressed at work.
Best shoes for the office (Men)
Everyone wants to wear the most comfortable shoes to work because You spend so much time at the office that you don’t want your footwear to pinch your toes or slip off your heels.
Whether running a business or working in a creative field, everyone has to attend meetings and meet people. So, of course, you want the best, most comfortable, and equally stylish footwear collection. Here are some options for your office shoes.
Oxford Shoes
Oxford shoes are one of the best shoe options for the office. Oxford shoes are generally known as formal footwear. An Oxford shoe is defined by stitched shoe’s ‘vamp’ over the ‘quarter’ or back of the shoe, creating a “V” shape.
Oxford shoes are suitable for many formal occasions and professional settings. Also, Oxford shoes are appropriate for various events, including casual business meetings.
How To Wear Oxfords?
- For an office look, you can choose brown or black leather Oxfords. However, I would suggest avoiding patent designs so that you don’t look overdressed.
- Opt for a whole cut style or plain toe oxfords since details can reduce a shoe’s smartness for more formal looks.
- You can get cap-toe Oxford shoes if you want to pair them with your suit or trousers.
- You can also wear Oxford brogues with jeans or chinos.
- You can also pair your Oxfords with a tuxedo.
Where To Wear Oxfords?
Oxfords are formal shoes, so you can wear them to any formal event, professional setting, business meeting, or office.
Recommended Brands for Oxfords:
Some of the famous brands I recommend for oxford shoes are Allen Edmonds, Ace Marks, Ted Baker, Hugo Boss, Church’s, and G.H. Bass.
Derby Shoes
Derby shoes are classic dress shoes and another best option for the office. Their minimalist and timeless design make them a great addition to your business casual shoe collection.
Derby shoes are almost the opposite of Oxford’s. A Derby shoe is defined by the stitched shoe’s ‘vamp’ under the ‘quarter’ or back of the shoe. Derby shoes are looser than Oxfords. You can ditch Oxfords and go for Derbies if you want a less formal look.
How To Wear Derbies?
- Derbies go with a variety of outfits. However, to look great in the office, you need to find the perfect balance between your outfit and derbies. For example, leather-styled derbies go well with casual ensembles, while suede is best for formal wear.
- Derbies are more casual shoes than oxfords, but they are becoming increasingly popular. These shoes can go with both jeans and suits according to your preference.
- You can pair derbies with jeans to create a complementary look or contrast them with suits for a different look.
- Furthermore, if you have wide feet or high arches, derbies are a great option since they are loose and their facings are wide.
Where To Wear Derbies?
Derbies are versatile, and you can wear them anywhere, like office, in business meetings, in casual meetings, or on formal/informal occasions.
Recommended Brands for Derbies:
Some of the brands I recommend for derby shoes include Ted Baker, Church’s, and G.H. Bass.
Loafers
A loafer is a slip-on shoe without shoelaces and usually has a moccasin-like construction. If you don’t already own loafers, I highly recommend getting them. These lace-less slip-on are extremely important to add to your shoe collection. You can use them for a variety of purposes. In addition, they are versatile and easily adapted to your office environment or business setting.
How To Wear Loafers?
Loafers go with almost everything!
- You can get black or brown leather loafers and pair them with a business shirt and chinos for an office look. You can also add a matching belt for a more professional office look. I suggest keeping your shirt tucked in to make your look more attractive.
- You can also pair loafers with a t-shirt or a jacket and tie with chinos.
- Although you can wear loafers with a two-piece, I would suggest avoiding wearing them with a formal suit due to their inherent informality.
- You can also tailor your loafers according to your choice, preference, and comfort. For example, you can add a rubber sole or an elongated toe to make your loafer durable and comfortable.
Where To Wear Loafers?
You can wear loafers in many professional settings such as banking, real estate, the arts, and the creative industries.
Recommended Brands for Loafers:
Some of the brands I recommend for loafers are Church’s, Hugo Boss, and G.H. Bass.
Monk Strap Shoes
Monk strap shoes have straps instead of laces to keep them fit on your feet. The strap may have single or double buckles. I’d suggest getting a pair of monk strap shoes in a leather design since it gives you a statement style.
Monk strap shoes are sleek shoes that will go well with your office look. These shoes feature a formal and sophisticated design, making them suitable for the office. However, you can also wear them for after-work parties or on weekends out due to their stylish look.
How To Wear Monk Strap Shoes?
- Monk strap shoes lie somewhere between derbies and oxfords. They are formal shoes to pair with trousers or suits, but you can also wear them with jeans.
- You can wear monk strap shoes with metal hardware to enhance your office look and make it more elegant.
- If you are looking for monk strap shoes for office use, you can try black monks with a silver buckle or brown monks strap shoes with a brass buckle. But make sure the straps are well-designed and properly curved.
Where To Wear Monk Strap Shoes?
You can wear monk strap shoes to your office, casual meetings, day outs, and afterword parties.
Recommended Brands for Monk Strap Shoes:
Ace Marks and Church’s makes some good monk strap shoes.
Chelsea Boots
A Chelsea boot is a mid-height boot with elastic patches at the sides. They strike a unique balance between the establishment and rebellion. A Chelsea boot is usually made from a single piece of leather stitched at the heel. Boots made this way are beautiful, but they are difficult to make.
Chelsea boots have round toes and elastic gussets at the sides. These boots have no laces or buckles, which gives them an aesthetic look, and you can easily and quickly slip on and off them.
However, you may not think about boots while choosing shoes for your office or business meetings, but they can be the perfect choice for your office look. Chelsea boots are comfortable, unique, and stylish and will give you an effortlessly sophisticated look.
How To Wear Chelsea Boots?
- Just like loafers and monk strap shoes, you wear Chelsea boots to your office.
- Chelsea boots lie somewhere between smart and casual shoes. Depending on their material, colors, and details, you can decide how to pair and where to wear these boots.
- You can pair your round-toed Chelsea boots with denim for more casual looks. However, for an office look, you should go for a chiseled style of Chelsea boots. You can also find something that goes with both kinds of looks.
- You can pair your dark brown or black leather Chelsea boots with your suit.
- Alternatively, you can wear tan suede Chelsea boots ideally with your blues.
Where To Wear Chelsea Boots?
You can wear Chelsea boots anywhere from casual meetings to office and business meetings.
Casual Office Shoes
Trainers
Trainers are casual shoes and usually not considered office shoes. But in case you are working in a free environment or creative field you can opt for trainers as your work shoes. For work, I would recommend getting trainers with low cuts. Also, make sure your trainers are well stitched and of good quality.
How To Wear Trainers?
- You can wear trainers with your casual outfits. In addition, you can pair them with outfits that fall somewhere between casual and formal.
- Trainers also go well with blazers, jackets, trousers, an oxford shirt, and chinos.
- Avoid wearing trainers with your typical office suit. However, you can pair your trainers with a slim-cut formal suit.
- If you wear trainers to your office, make sure they’re not too clumpy and good quality, preferably leather.
- You can choose dark-colored trainers to avoid that extra attention to your footwear.
Where To Wear Trainers?
Trainers are most appropriate for creative industries and creative field offices.
Recommended Brands for Trainers:
John Lobb and Grenson make some great trainers with polished uppers, so they are suitable for the workplace.
Best shoes for the office (Women)
Low-Heel Boots
Low-heeled boots are also an excellent option for women working in an office. Of course, Sky-high boots will give you a few extra inches, but they come with the worst arch pain you do not want at your workplace.
However, low heel boots are perfect for helping you move from one place to the other. You can choose a blocked heel or kitten heel that will give you enough height and comfort. You can pair these shoes with a pair of cropped trousers to complete your office look.
Blocked Heel Pumps
Blocked heel pumps are classic and perfect shoes for your office look. They can never go wrong. Block heel pumps go well with almost everything and are perfect 9 to 5 work shoes. Because of their sturdy block heels, they are comfortable to walk in and are equally elegant.
Mules
Mules are slip-on shoes that seem comfortable and effortless to wear. You can choose minimal or detailed mules, whatever you prefer or suits your personality and workplace environment. Also, there are endless options available to choose from, including flats, pointed heels, and block heels. You can wear mules with almost any outfit, including sweater dresses, turtlenecks, and midi skirts.
The Mary Jane Shoes
The Mary Jane shoes are also known as doll shoes or bar shoes. They are close-toed, low-cut shoes having one or more straps. Because of their ankle straps, these shoes offer both comfort and a perfect fit.
Several versions of Mary Jane are available, such as leather or suede. Additionally, Various heel heights are available to choose from, depending on what height you desire. You can pair Mary Jane with all your outfits, such as A-line dresses and pencil skirts.
Sneakers
If you are in a creative field, you probably won’t be restricted by a dress code. In that case, you can skip all the above options and go for sneakers instead.
Sneakers are the most comfortable shoes and give you a funky look. They suit all your knitted dresses, t-shirts, sweaters, and jeans.
What To Look for in Office Shoes?
| Attributes | Benefits |
|---|---|
| Flat And Wide Outsoles | Flat outsoles make your feet feel comfortable. Wide outsoles provide a full ground contact. It evenly spreads the pressure. |
| Cushioned Midsoles | It will provide adequate cushioning to your heel and forefoot. Comfortably transfers your body weight to your heel and forefoot. |
| Spacious Upper | It helps to splay your toes. |
| Traction In Outsoles | It helps to provide grip on smooth, slippery, greasy, or artificial floors. |
| High Heel-To-Toe Drop (8mm to 12mm) | Relieves pressure on the Achilles tendon and calf muscles. |
| Plain Colors | Match your formal office environment. Suitable for the workplace. |
| Simple Design | They are easy to clean and easy to maintain. |
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