The Perfect Shoes to Match Your Wedding Suit
Your wedding will be a day full of emotions, cherished memories, and of course, you wanting to look your absolute best. While your suit will be taking center stage, your shoes play a vital role in completing your overall look. This blog post will be your one-stop guide to selecting the perfect shoes to complement your wedding suit, taking both colour coordination and formality in mind.
Your wedding will be a day full of emotions, cherished memories, and of course, you wanting to look your absolute best. While your suit will be taking center stage, your shoes play a vital role in completing your overall look. This blog post will be your one-stop guide to selecting the perfect shoes to complement your wedding suit, taking both colour coordination and formality in mind.
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Part 1: A Match Made in Shoe Heaven - Coordinating your Shoe Colour to your Suit
The first part of this blog will cover what shoe colour you should use based on the colour of your wedding suit. We have had many customers come in and ask this question, which is why we decided to write a blogpost on this topic. Let’s delve further into the world of classic and contemporary colour combinations to ensure that your shoe and suit create a harmonious symphony.
The Timeless Trio
Black, navy and charcoal are timeless and classic suit colours every man should have in his wardrobe.
Black
The black tuxedo is the epitome of elegance and formality. Since it's the highest level of formality you will need to pair it with a black oxford. I generally wouldn’t recommend someone getting a black suit as that could potentially make you look like a staff at the event or banquet. To set yourself apart from this, always opt for a black tuxedo, if deciding on black. The satin lapel will distinguish you from the wait staff at the event. Alternatively, if you still want a black suit, ensure that the suit is extremely well-tailored and add certain unique customisations to it, like functional cuffs or a unique lining. You could opt for a cap-toe oxford for a touch of detail or plain wholecut oxford for a more minimalistic look. Just remember that for a black suit, the only shoe colour that you would want to pair with it is, black.
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Navy
Navy
As compared to a black suit, a navy suit is a more versatile option and offers flexibility. The best shoe colour to pair with your navy suit would be your browns in various different shades, depending on how dark of a navy your suit is. A brown or tan dress shoe in shades like walnut or cognac can create a sophisticated yet approachable look with your navy suit. Just remember that with a darker navy suit, always opt for a darker brown such as walnut and with a lighter coloured suit, go for a lighter brown, like tan or chestnut. Alternatively, if you want to add a little twist and make your navy suit stand out, you could opt for a pair of burgundy dress shoes as the two complement each other well - do check out our Calafate in Burgundy.
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Charcoal
Charcoal
Similar to navy, you would want to pair a charcoal suit with a pair of brown dress shoes. For charcoal suits you can explore your darker browns such as mahogany or walnut or your lighter browns like chestnut, providing your outfit with that summer vibe. As compared to a black suit, a charcoal suit offers more versatility. Unlike black, which can sometimes be overpowering, charcoal is a subtler and more versatile shade. A charcoal suit is appropriate for both formal and business occasions, and it could double as a black suit, for a less dull option to your suit collection. The good thing about a charcoal suit is that you could pair it with almost any shoe colour, even black or burgundy. This would make it one of the most versatile colours for a suit option.
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Beyond the Basics
Beyond the Basics
People tend to opt for more outdoor venues, such as a beach or garden wedding; some people even have their weddings at cafes or restaurants. Since these venues, as compared to indoor banquet weddings, are warmer, people tend to go for lighter coloured suits with lighter and more breathable materials. This would be your light grey, burgundy, green or other coloured suits that stray from the norm.
Grey
Grey
Light grey suits offer more room for play. For this shade of grey, you would want to opt for a lighter brown such as chestnut, or even tan shoes for a summer wedding. Remember this general rule, lighter suits go with shoes of lighter shades and darker suits, go with shoes of darker shades. Charcoal grey suits lean towards a more formal setting, as compared to your light greys, making them a more casual option.
Coloured Suits
Coloured Suits
The rise of coloured suits like burgundy or green is undeniable. For these colours do opt for brown shoes in a shade a few tones lighter than your suit for a cohesive and stylish look. For example, if you have a burgundy suit, you would probably want to go for a lighter brown shoe like a chestnut or tan; that said, burgundy shoes would also work well with a burgundy suit.
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Part 2: Striking the Right Balance - Formality and Shoe Styles
Part 2: Striking the Right Balance - Formality and Shoe Styles
The formality of your wedding plays an important role in selecting the perfect shoe style for yourself. Let’s take a look at the formalities and which shoe style you should use for each.
Formal Weddings (Black-Tie)
As far as levels of formality go, a black-tie event will be the most formal. For a black-tie event, you would want to go with a black oxford, preferably a wholecut shoe, if you’re wearing a tuxedo. A wholecut oxford is a sleek, clean design with minimal detailing for a look that exudes sophistication, making it the most formal wear out of all shoe options. Do check out our website for the full range of oxford shoes.
Semi-Formal Weddings
When it comes to semi-formal weddings, it opens the door to more options. While both black or brown oxfords are appropriate for a semi-formal wedding, there are other alternatives that you can explore, to give your outfit a touch of personality. These will be your derby and monk strap shoes.
Derbys
Derbys are more suited for outdoor wedding venues, such as a beach or garden wedding and definitely not for formal or black tie weddings. As these shoes are more suited for a less formal wedding, you could play around with more design and detailing on the shoe. If you’re looking to give your outfit more personality, you could look at brogueing or wingtips, which adds a little spice to your outfit. That said, for formal weddings, the groom should use a pair or oxfords, but guests here are more than welcome to go with derbys. Do check out our full range of derbys on our website.
Monk Straps
Monk strap shoes offer a buckle closure which is a chic and sophisticated option. If you want to express a contemporary style, then monk straps are the one for you. Just remember, this shoe style is not meant for a formal or black tie event. This style would be more suited for a summer style wedding and they look great sockless, similar to a loafer. Do check out our full range of monk straps on our website.
Casual Weddings
With casual weddings, there is usually an emphasis on creating a relaxed and celebratory atmosphere, mostly done for beach or garden weddings. This also translates to your suit choice, allowing you to ditch the formality of traditional suits and opt for something more comfortable. When it comes to casual weddings, your footwear options include both loafers and chelsea boots.
Leather is more often than not the go-to choice for wedding shoes as they offer a timeless and polished look. Suede on the other hand offers a more relaxed look. Do consider a pair of full-grain leather shoes for the added quality and durability of your shoes.
Loafers
For casual weddings, you have two options for loafers: penny and tassel loafers. Loafers are a quintessential choice for casual weddings and penny loafers offer a timeless elegance with a touch of personality to your suit. You would most likely want to opt for a brown leather loafer for a classic summer wedding, or you could explore suede loafer options for a more relaxed vibe. If you want to have a touch of added flair, consider a pair of tassel loafers instead. Do check out our full range of loafers on our website.
Chelsea Boots
For a more contemporary and edgy look, go for a nice pair of chelsea boots. A pair of chelsea boots can work really well with a well-tailored suit in a darker shade. Opt for a chelsea boot in a dark brown like walnut, or black leather for a sleek and modern look.
Bonus Tips for the Discerning Groom
Material MattersLeather is more often than not the go-to choice for wedding shoes as they offer a timeless and polished look. Suede on the other hand offers a more relaxed look. Do consider a pair of full-grain leather shoes for the added quality and durability of your shoes.
Comfort is Key
You’ll most likely be on your feet all day, entertaining guests, so you would definitely want to prioritise comfort. Choose shoes that are well-fitted and allow your feet to breathe.