You wear shoes every day, so it’s important to find the right pair that will keep you comfortable during your workday and beyond. While there are many different types of shoes to choose from, choosing the right shoe for your job can be tough.
Here are a few tips on how to choose the best shoes for office and walking:
- Know Your Feet
The first step is knowing what kind of feet you have. Are they flat or high arched? Do they tend to swell in the heat? Are they wide or narrow? Knowing your feet will help you choose the best type of shoe for your needs.
- Consider Your Job Duties
You also want to consider what type of job duties you’ll be performing while wearing these shoes. For example, if you’re going to be walking around in wet conditions all day long, then waterproof shoes may be a good choice for you since they tend to last longer than other types of footwear due to their durability rating. If your job requires you to stand on concrete all day long, then thick soles would probably be best suited for those conditions as well because they provide additional stability while standing still or walking around on hard surfaces that might otherwise cause discomfort during extended periods of time without
Best Shoes For Office And Walking
COURTESY
Office culture—and its dress code—has changed drastically over the past two decades. That’s certainly not news, especially if you’ve been employed during the transition, but, for many, the appropriate fit can still be a head-scratcher. Indeed, there was a period when dressing for your 9-to-5 was easy: A suit in gray or navy with a pair of oxfords was always a good bet. Think Mad Men, The Wolf of Wall Street, and Up in the Air. Nowadays, however, with Silicon Valley and start-ups across the nation promoting a laissez-faire attitude—read: normcore—in open-concept offices and boardrooms alike, the prescribed attire isn’t so simple. Enter business casual, and more specifically, business casual shoes.
The term is decidedly tricky. What does business casual actually mean? What are the parameters? Here’s the CliffsNotes version: business, but not too business, and casual, but not too casual. You still want to present yourself authoritatively, but you also don’t want to be the sole overdresser in the group. The choice of shoes, in particular, is the perfect way to meander between these two points. If you prefer the formality of a suit, pair it with a white sneaker. Similarly, if you’re a jeans-and-tee fella, polish it up with wingtips. There are also styles that fit the business-casual bill by themselves, including desert boots, Chelsea boots, and certain types of loafers.
Need more help getting business casual shoes down pat? Check out the selection below. Most of us will be heading back to the office soon (if you haven’t already), and we could all use some new kicks when we do. And hey, we can wear them OOO, too.
ADIDAS
Stan Smith Shoes
The white sneaker: Adidas and Stan Smith certainly did it well. If you have a Ludlow suit or something similar hanging around, pair it with this veritable icon.
J.CREW
Camden Loafers
$148 AT J CREW
If you’re not looking to overdo the latter half of “business casual,” a penny loafer is your friend. Wear it jeans and a sports jacket, or tapered slacks and sleek sweater, and you’re all set.
THURSDAY BOOT COMPANY
Scout Chukka Boot
$149 AT AMAZON
Thursday makes a range of business casual shoes, but we’re partial to the Scout chukkas. Wear them with chinos or dark denim and call it a day.
CLARKS
Desert Boot
$150 AT CLARKS
Ah, the desert boot. It doesn’t get anymore business casual than this, folks. The shoe is polished, but not too dressy. And Clarks has pretty much got the market covered with its OG version.
ASTORFLEX
Greenflex Chukka Boot
$195 AT HUCKBERRY
Come for the durable nubuck leather and crepe soles. Stay for the eye-catching patina that’ll only get better with time.
DR. MARTENS
Originals 1461 Leather Oxford Shoes
$220 AT TODD SNYDER
Into white, but really feeling sneakers? The Doc has got you covered with some slightly offbeat oxfords. Pair them with a straight-leg jean and button-up, or a cotton suit, and consider yourself minted.
GOOD MAN BRAND
Lexington Penny Loafer
$228 AT NORDSTROM
Everything you love about a penny loafer, beefed up with a big lug sole. It’s business and casual in one (very attractive) package.
COLE HAAN
Original Grand Wingtip Derby
A wingtip derby is pretty formal shoe, insofar as office-wear goes, at least. But Cole Haan has made it much more casual with the addition of grooved rubber sole.
MARC FISHER
Danny Chelsea Boot
$180 AT MARCFISHERFOOTWEAR.COM
Second only to the desert boot in the business casual spectrum is the mighty Chelsea boot. Whether dressing up or dressing down, this style consistently walks the line with aplomb.
KOIO
Capri Onyx Sneaker
$295 AT KOIO
Still yearning for a pair of elevated sneakers? Try these black leather kicks from Koio.
FEAR OF GOD ESSENTIALS
The Essential Tennis Low Top Sneaker
$295 AT NORDSTROM
An ultra-versatile taupe sneaker with a little extra edge, courtesy of Jerry Lorenzo’s Fear of God Essentials line.
FRYE
Tyler Lace Up
$328 AT THEFRYECOMPANY.COM
When in doubt, leather boots are a business-casual staple. Black lace-ups are great for wearing with black anything—jeans, chinos, suits, what have you.
RED WING
Heritage Iron Ranger Boot
$350 AT AMAZON
Yes, black boots are a great option, but if you want to try a bit more color, Red Wing, purveyor of some of the most durable boots around, has an elegant option in rich amber.
LEMAIRE
Square-Toe Loafers
$372 AT SSENSE
Leave it to Christophe Lemaire to give us a new take on the timeless loafer, this one with a unique vamp and a square toe.
ARMANDO CABRAL
Bula IV Loafer
$490 AT NORDSTROM
Trust that Armando Cabral will always elevate tried-and-true classics with attention-grabbing details—like the elastic goring at the vamp of these pebbled leather loafers.
GRENSON
Epsom Leather Penny Loafers
$615 AT MR PORTER
Like we said, penny loafers are foolproof. And if you’re looking for the toniest option, the one beloved by English gents, Grenson’s Epsom is what you need.
COMMON PROJECTS
Chelsea Boots
$672 AT SAKS FIFTH AVENUE
If you’ve been following us closely, you’re well aware of Common Projects’s sneakers—their paired-down look, high-quality materials, and expert construction. The same, of course, can be said of its stellar Chelsea boots.
TOD’S
City Gommino Driving Shoes
$695 AT TOD’S USA
Initially made for cruising down the highway, Tod’s Gommini—a.k.a. driving shoes—are the kind of shoes that will put your business casual fit into high gear.
GUCCI
Jordaan Leather Loafer
$920 AT GUCCI
There are very few situations in which a Gucci bit loafer is not the right move. Go ahead and invest—it’ll pay dividends.
CELINE HOMME
Suede Chelsea Boots
$1,100 AT MR PORTER
Speaking of investment, Celine Homme has produced the perfect all-day Chelsea boot. Wear it to the office. Wear it to a festival. Wear it anywhere.
