When you are young, the thought of wearing dress shoes probably does not enter your mind too often, not at least in the sense that you will be actively doing so of your own volition. If you grew up religious or going to adult functions (both of which where your parents might have dressed you up), you probably were of the mindset that dress shoes were for special occasions. A dress shoe in your mind was probably some very basic black slip-on loafer (think Ecco style etc). Because when we are young, chances are that we are running around, playing sports, being hyperactive, and of course, trying to look cool.
It’s a shame, but dress shoes simply are not cool for young people, so wearing them when you are under 18 years of age is generally seen as being snooty or something of that nature. It is not until we start to grow out of our adolescence that dress shoes start to make sense in our minds. Compound that by the fact that this is still for the very minority of the population. Most people in this world stay in casual sneaker-style shoes or more rugged wear (think Merrel/Ecco boots/Timberland etc) and really stay in that mentality that dress shoes are nothing more than shoes for special occasions and/or purely for work.
Here is why that is not accurate.
What Makes Dress Shoes Good?
Appearance – Dress Shoes Look Good
Fit/Comfort – Dress Shoes Feel Good
Versatility In Your Wardrobe
Appearance – Dress Shoes Look Good
Whether people care, realize it, find it offensive, or whatever the case, the reality is and always will be that we are judged by our appearance. The reason is that our appearance nearly always says something about us as individuals and our personality on the whole. For me being ‘The Shoe Snob’ and all, that appearance always starts at the feet. And there are differences in how you are treated/perceived wearing one thing or another.
I have been blessed enough to travel extensively in my life and with that is the awful experience of being inside of airports, my least favorite place. In fact, I cannot stand the airport and frankly a lot of the people that work there. And most likely everyone has had that bad experience in dealing with someone at the airport. They are not the friendliest of people and it is their job to automatically judge people by their appearance. Therefore, I almost always dress up when traveling. The reality is that when I do dress up, I rarely have any issues at all. But when I dress more relaxed and comfortable, it is not always the same. While that fact is quite silly as I am who I am no matter my clothing, it is simply the reality of our world.
Our appearance is important, not only to give a good impression and not be judged by others, which is of less consequence but in reality because if you have ever truly dressed nicely and been complimented on your style, I can tell you firsthand that it feels good. We all know that. It is not subjective. It is objective. We all love a nice compliment.
It is not really the acceptance and praise from others that feels good, but more so the internal feelings it gives you to be well dressed. It puts you into another frame of mind where the sky is the limit and you feel like you can be anything and anyone and achieve all that you put your mind towards. And that starts with a good pair of dress shoes because no matter how good your upper wear is, it all means nothing if your shoes don’t match in quality/look. There is no fact in menswear that is more real than that.
So, wearing dress shoes for appearance is not only a good way to look good for others and help them understand something about you but more so for your own self-progression in putting you in a mindset of achievement.
