Beyond Black and Brown, Other Shoe Colors to Match your Personality

Aside from sneakers, most men’s shoe colors are limited to brown shoes and black shoes. Sure, we may go off tone with a pair of tan shoes, walnut, or cognac shoes, but those are really just different shades of brown shoes. For most of us, truly colorful shoes are reserved for the gym.

But it doesn’t have to be that way! Today you can wear dress shoes with jeans and stylish sneakers with a suit. Colorful shoes are becoming more acceptable with outfits and for more occasions. For example, today it is not uncommon to see red shoes or other shoe colors worn with a suit to work. Limiting yourself to the brown shoes, black shoes color palette is boring. Have some fun by integrating more color into your shoe collection.

After black shoes and brown shoes, red shoes are one of the most popular colors. When wearing red shoes, choose a lighter color for your outfit. Monochrome colors like beige, black, white, and gray are good choices. You can also go for contrast such as navy or light blue, but don’t wear pants or a shirt that matches your red shoes. Too much red quickly becomes busy.

From navy blue shoes to royal blue shoes, after red shoes, blue shoes are the next most popular color. Not long ago they were everywhere, and it wasn’t uncommon to see men wearing blue shoes for a wedding. Blue shoes are a stylish alternative to an otherwise common black shoe.

Combining blue shoes with white, gray, brown, tan, or olive pants make a good match. If you wear blue shoes with blue trousers, make sure the pants are light enough so that you have a good contrast between the two. Like most things, blue shoes look good with almost all color jeans except black jeans. Never wear blue shoes with black jeans. And as a final rule, if you see someone wearing blue suede shoes, don’t step on them.

For olive, orange, purple, or when wearing anything other than brown shoes or black shoes, follow these basic rules. Build your look around your colored shoes. Make them the focal point of your outfit. Play off of them with clothing in neutral or contrasting colors. Never wear colors that become too matchy-matchy. Colorful shoes are supposed to add to your look, so don’t drown them out by wearing the same colored pants or shirts. In short, don’t be afraid to explore a wide variety of shoe colors!