How To Style Your Blue Shoes - Part 1: Suits

It may seem like an unorthodox choice, but blue is actually a real workhorse color for footwear: It can play many roles spanning different seasons, styles, and levels of formality. And as blue is my favorite color, you can imagine that I am always looking to incorporate it into my outfits, as you can clearly see from the photos presented. As it can sometimes feel difficult to find the right place, time, and outfit to wear your blue dress shoes with, I wanted to share my thoughts on how to easily allow blue shoes into your life and outfits.

In a more formal and cooler-weather context, blue shoes can effortlessly stand-in for black or dark brown pairs: Just a small change in formality is exchanged for a new color option and all of the styling and accenting options that it opens up. Wear your blue shoes with your favorite navy suit for a charming tonal effect, or with grey tailoring for an easy but handsome contrast. Pairing your blues can be a challenge sometimes as having too many tones can look silly but once you are able to match those tones, then it is similar to wearing black on black which is as easy as it gets. And when you want be more bold, blue is a great contrasting color. From most shades of grey to khaki trousers, a blue shoe sits well under those lighter tones with effortless ease.

A blue suede loafer is more simple and easy to incorporate into your wardrobe as it spans more outfits when you incorporate the casual realm than your average blue oxford does. But the beauty of the blue oxford is that it is so elegant when done right. Being that I am a sucker for two tones and multiple materials on a shoe, I often like to make my blue shoes with blue suede accents. I think that helps to actually give some subtle pop to that shoe without overdoing it. You can see this in the featured shoe. I also think that it helps when going blue on blue as the vast change in the material helps to break up the monotony.

Wearing blue shoes, like most things, is just about trial and error. With grey suits, it is hard to get wrong. The blue shoes on navy suits conundrum is where the complications might arise. But, after getting it right and hearing a few compliments head your way, you won’t think twice about it. So, don’t be afraid to grab that pair of blue shoes you have been eyeballing. Especially if you have your other bases covered. Venture outside of the brown realm and into the blue one. You will thank me later!

This is the first of two posts I will have about styling your blue pairs: Stay tuned for round two, in which I explore a more casual, warmer-weather use for your blue tones!

Top Outfit (3 piece)