Spectators: Not Always A “Loud” Shoe

Spectators are unfairly written off as an exceptionally niche, Summer-only style. We believe they’re actually a versatile year-round design! Read onwards to challenge what you know about spectator styles, to see how they can be made “easier” to wear, and to see how they can be worn even once the temperature drops!

LOW CONTRAST

Low-contrast is the side of spectators that most people don’t know of: It’s a subtle, elegant spin on an already uncommon shoe.

A spectator at heart is simply a shoe with contrasting sections — whether those contrasts come from stark color differences, subtle color differences, and/or differences in material (calfskin, suede, fabrics, etc). They don’t have to be starkly white/black designs.

Realizing that opens a lot of possibilities — and makes spectators far more wearable than the jazzy ones you’re used to seeing. Despite the subdued nature of a low-contrast spectator, it nevertheless remains a playful alternative to a classic dress shoe: Cheeky socks make for a good pairing here!

HIGH CONTRAST

High color contrasts are probably what you think of when someone says “spectators,” and we do love our bold styles! Two things are important to remember when designing and styling shoes such as these:

1. Spectator colors are not limited to traditional combinations! Black/white and brown/white combinations deservedly get a lot of love, but there is a big world of color out there: Try a green/brown, a red/grey, or a purple/cream, and enjoy the ride
2. Shoes like this are loud. They will not wear like a normal dress shoe, nor are they intended to! High contrast spectators, particularly in atypical colors, are bold choices and require an outfit to match. Expect to wear them infrequently, and under great scrutiny (and hopefully to great approval) by passers-by

WINTER SPECTATORS

Spectators are typically thought of as a warm weather style — often associated with the American South. As such, they’re usually designed in “warm” colorways, with light browns and white being the most common combinations, which further reinforces “Summer” expectations of these shoes.

But as we’ve seen above, there’s nothing stopping a spectator from being made in darker colors — or even being made as a boot. For your consideration, we present some spectator style boots: A charming option for adding a bit of flair into your Autumn and Winter outfits.

Like the shoes seen above, spectator boots can be worn in subdued tonal designs, or bolder high contrast makeups: It’s all up to how you want to style them!

This post was actually written by my business partner, Mathew Komorowski, of my shoe brand J.FitzPatrick Footwear. Mathew has been doing some great blog style newsletters for our company that I thoight would be well-received here at The Shoe Snob Blog so as long he keeps them coming I will continue to share his style of writing and train of thought. I hope that you all enjoyed it.

All shoes by www.jfitzpatrickfootwear.com