I am a firm believer that outfits should begin from the bottom up, starting with your feet. Every night before I fall asleep, I like to think about what I will be sporting for tomorrow’s attire. Shoes play a valuable part of any outfit. Unlike some of our female counterparts, most of us males do not share the same obsession as some women have of shoe shopping. I myself would like to have seven to eight pairs of shoes but I have to make do with the five I have.
Last year I made my first long term investment: Allen Edmonds Oxford in Walnut Calf from Nordstrom. I heard praises about the brand, and they are very well known for their calf leather. As much as I love them, I do not like to flaunt around in that specific pair. They are for now reserved for weddings, interviews, and any other times I have to “dress to impress”. My other shoes include Sperry Boat Shoes in a milk chocolate, Nike Free Run in red and grey, and my spring summer sneaker are Onitsuka Tiger Vintage in off-white leather, faded navy, and light grey. Lastly, I have a pair of suede desert boots from ASOS; the color was originally a very light tan, but now they have wonderful dark tan color which took all of last spring, fall and the harsh winter to attain. Having a variety in style and color allows for me to generate a new look every time.
For example the following:
My best friend since the grade school has a wonderful pair of brogue shoes. Those shoes have a lot character, meaning, and a wonderful backstory: the story he told me was that they were going to move and while picking up boxes of old shoes he discovered a pair of dress shoes. He asked his father who the shoes belonged to, and he replied, “they were mine from my father but since my feet are a bit too wide I don't seem to need them.” So, as what any classy person would do, he continued the lineage; a tradition of men in which an article of clothing, such shoes, is passed down from one man to another. The next day he went to local shoe repair, got them resoled, cleaned up, and polished. Now after a year later, without having to move, we became closer to fashion by identifying and correcting fashion flaws and became the “fashion police” within our group of friends.
In the outfit below he told me, “you obviously told me to wear these shoes, next came the sock, moving up came these pants, then onwards to the button-down shirt and finally the sweater. Alongside came the denim jacket, moved up to his earrings, and last but not least (he had no time to fix his hair) the paperboy hat. For a better perspective you have to zoom in to realize that each specific article compliments one another and matches. In a different perspective, like a jigsaw puzzle in which tiny pieces are put together to form the big picture, in turn gives you a marvelous ensemble.
One thing I love about my shoes is that I can wear anything from my closet and still feel confident, comfortable, and bit different from other people at union station, on the “L,” and on campus. In all of these pictures I felt stylish, unique and I was trying out the colors I loved and the styles I was displaying. Allowing yourself to have more than the basic three pairs of shoes can increase you chances to develop a well-built wardrobe.
The best way to display our inner self is to utilize a mementos such as necklaces, rings, dresses, or even this case shoes. These objects, nay prized possessions, help us redefine our exclusiveness in this mashed up world of fashion. (Shoes, jeans, hats, and any accessory defines your uniqueness, but an outfit always start from the bottom up.)
- Danish
