The first thing that comes to mind when you talk about Men's footwear is a black leather shoe, its not your fault its probably because ever since you can remember men have been wearing boring black shoes, an image that has rapidly changed. Every where you look today men's shoes are slick and good looking. Shoe manufacturers the world over are using a plethora of mediums like suede, nu buck and composites to change the boring old image of a black leather shoe disappear.
Today everything from a pair of white sneakers to a pair of hush puppies are available for men to choose from. Just like women, even for men there is a shoe for every occasion and style. Based on the type of occasion and style, footwear for men is generally categorised into 3 major categories
a) Sports wear
Almost anyone who has ever played a sport or has taken a walk has a pair, sports shoes are a multi billion dollar industry, sports shoes worn by professionals are sometimes worth thousands of dollars. The main players in the sports shoes market are Reebok, Adidas, Nike to name a few. Each company develops newer designs and technologies, to make sports or leisure activities more comfortable.
b) Casuals
Anything that is not sports or formal is casual wear, casual shoes are either leather, synthetic or a composite of leather and synthetic, a recent addition to the casual shoe fraternity are the workman steel toe boots that manufacturers like CAT, Wolverine offer. There are also companies that deal exclusively in casual shoes and offer products that are meant for lounge wear.
c) Formal Shoes
Formal shoes are almost exclusively made of leather products, usually hard leather and very primly designed. Formal shoes have gone a transformation thanks to the creative imaginations of Italian designers, no longer are the usual Oxford shoes the only formal pair you need, you can pick up numerous other designs in a variety of mediums like suede and nu buck. Basically if you think that formal shoes are supposed to be black and plain leather, think again.
Depending on your budget and your taste, there is a manufacturer that will meet your requirements. Just remember that there is no such thing as just a black Oxford shoe to go with your suit. The next time you walk into a meeting, just look up some of the new formal shoes on offer and there will be something that will catch your eye.
