You’ve probably heard the saying, ‘’Judge a man by his shoes.’’ Ok, I know what you’re thinking, about how we’re meant to judge people by the content of their character, (true), but speaking as a Stylist, it’s a fun little thing to joke about and you can actually tell quite a bit about someone by their shoes (and also how clean they keep them)!Being a Men’s Fashion & Personal Stylist, I’m always on the go; travelling between the office (and often interstate), to see my clients and for business meetings. Comfort is key for my day to day schedule, yet I never want to compromise my style. In short, I rely on a selection of staples that look good, but are super comfy to wear.
If you enjoy style and are reading this because you want to up your wardrobe game, then I hope you add a note of wearing nice, clean shoes to your list. Why clean? Well, would you wear a dirty watch? Or a dirty tie? Exactly, same goes, it looks like you don’t give a crap basically. Of course, shoes get dirty with wear, but that’s why you have to clean them up before you leave the house. It’s takes two minutes at best and if you’re single, I’m sure that girl you talk to when buying your morning coffee will notice.
She’ll also notice if your shoes are cool, or unique. They’ll become a conversation piece for men and women alike. Now I’m not saying you can’t have your classic footwear like everyone else, but sometimes it’s fine to maybe choose a unique colour or feature detail. One thing I always advise my clients to do, is to always invest in great shoes, as this one of the most important things that will complete your look.
The inspiration for this blog came after getting a lot of love for a pair of burgundy ‘Hemlock’ shoes I was sent by Thread & Thistle, a local Melbourne shoe company for men. They’re really dope and have a cool golden ‘thistle’ detail near the heel. They are crafted using the finest genuine soft Nubuck leather and also what they call ‘flawless pigments’. I haven’t ever come across shoes quite like this before, with the same type of detailing so I was pretty impressed. Their packaging will impress you too, but I won’t spoil the surprise.
I’m betting on you having a hard time choosing your favourite styles from their collection. Whether you need boots, dress shoes for day-to-day, casual for the weekend or vice versa, check them out online before you go to your usual shopping centre. They also do men’s belts, and the coolest factor of all is that you can buy their ‘thistles’ individually! (Thistles are the pins you add to your shoes for unique detail).
Their ‘Hemlock’ range comes in burgundy (the shade I’m wearing), tan and brown. I sometimes pair mine up with black dress pants, a white long sleeve shirt and a burgundy jacket for more of a formal look. If you want to dress it down, you can also pair them with white or black denim jeans and a basic tee for more of a casual look.
These are the type of shoes you can wear in winter and also summer; which for us living in Australia is soon approaching!