Dress shoe
Encyclopedia
Shoe
A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot while doing various activities. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture to culture, with appearance originally being tied to function...
to be worn at smart casual
Smart casual
Smart casual is a loosely defined dress code, casual, yet "smart" enough to conform to the particular standards of certain Western social groups....
or more formal
Dress code (Western)
A dress code is a set of rules governing what garments may be worn together and in what setting. Examples of dress codes are combinations such as "smart casual", or "morning dress". A classification of these codes is normally made for varying levels of formality and times of day...
events. A dress shoe is typically contrasted to an athletic shoe
Athletic shoe
Athletic shoe is a generic name for the footwear primarily designed for sports or other forms of physical exercise but in recent years has come to be used for casual everyday activities....
.
Dress shoes are worn by many as their standard daily shoes, and are widely used in dance
Dance
Dance is an art form that generally refers to movement of the body, usually rhythmic and to music, used as a form of expression, social interaction or presented in a spiritual or performance setting....
, for parties, and for special occasions.
Men's dress shoes
Men's dress shoes are most commonly blackBlack
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
or brown. Other possible colors include: burgundy
Burgundy (color)
Burgundy is a shade of purplish red associated with the Burgundy wine of the same name, which in turn is named after the Burgundy region of France. The color burgundy is similar to other shades of dark red such as maroon...
, oxblood, chestnut
Chestnut (color)
Chestnut, also known as Indian red, is a color, a medium brownish shade of red, and is named after the nut of the chestnut tree.As Indian red, it is named after the red laterite soil found in India. It is thus an earth tone as well as a red. It is composed of naturally occurring iron oxides. Other...
, cordovan
Cordovan (color)
Cordovan is a rich shade of burgundy and a dark shade of rose. Cordovan takes its name from the city of Cordoba, Spain, where the production of shell cordovan leather was first practiced by the Visigoths in the seventh century...
or white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
. Cordovan or oxblood shoes are worn sometimes in the United States, while the other colours are worn by men of many nationalities. They are all made of leather, usually entirely, including the outers, lining, and sole, though for more durability at the expense of elegance, many shoes are made with rubber soles.
Shoes are usually made with many pieces of leather, and the seams can be decorated in various ways; most revolve around some type of brogueing. Brogues
Brogues
The Brogue is a style of low-heeled shoe or boot traditionally characterized by multiple-piece, sturdy leather uppers with decorative perforations and serration along the pieces' visible edges...
have rows of decorative punching in patterns: full brogues, or wingtips (the standard American name), have a toe cap in a wavy shape, with punched patterns on various sections of the shoe; half brogues have a normal straight edged toe cap and less punching; finally, other terms such as quarter-brogue etc. may be used to describe progressively less brogueing. All of the standard styles below may be brogued.
Men's shoes are often categorised by their fastening, and the various possibilities are listed below in roughly descending order of formality.
| Image | Name | Description |
|---|---|---|
 |
Oxford Oxford shoe An Oxford is a style of laced shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are stitched underneath the vamp, a construction method that is also sometimes referred to as "closed lacing". Oxfords first appeared in Scotland and Ireland, where they are occasionally called Balmorals after the Queen's... /Balmoral |
Oxfords (British), or Balmorals (American), lace up and tie to keep them on the wearer's foot, and have a closed lacing, where the pieces of leather joined by the laces are sewn together at the bottom. Many Oxfords have an additional piece of leather sewn over the toe section, known as a toe cap. Oxfords are the standard shoe to wear with most suits. |
| Monk Monk shoe A monk shoe is a style of shoe with no lacing, closed by a buckle and strap.It is moderately formal shoe: less formal than a full Oxford ; but more so than an open Derby . In between these, it is one of the main categories of men's shoes.It often has a cap toe, it is occasionally brogued, and is... |
A monk shoe has no lacing, and is closed by a strap with a buckle. | |
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Derby Derby shoe A Derby or Gibson is a style of shoe characterized by shoelace eyelet tabs that are sewn on top of the vamp, a construction method that is also sometimes referred to as "open lacing" where the tongue cut in one piece with the forepart... /Blüchers |
Derbies, or Blüchers in America, are similar to Oxfords, but have open lacing. They are a little less formal, and are often worn in brown, with some brogue Brogue A brogue is a strong accent, notably in Irish dialects of English. For example, in the folksong "Finnegan's Wake", the character of the song, Tim Finnegan, was said to have a "beautiful brogue so rich and sweet".... ing. |
| Loafer/Slip-on | Loafers, or slip-ons, come in both men's and women's styles. It is not unusual for a man's loafer to have a tassel Tassel A tassel is a finishing feature in fabric decoration. It is a universal ornament that is seen in varying versions in many cultures around the globe.-Etymology:... , although this can be seen in women's varieties too. Loafers were originally men's shoes, and are usually thought of as such, although women do now wear them. |
Other styles
In addition to the above, there are various less common types of footwear to accompany formalwear, such as the court shoeCourt shoe
Court shoes or pumps are shoes with a low-cut front and usually without a fastening. However, some have ankle straps...
(also called opera shoe, or patent pumps) for eveningwear and the dress boot
Dress boot
Dress boots are short leather boots worn by men. Built like dress shoes, but with uppers covering the ankle, versions of the boots are used as an alternative to these in bad weather or rough outdoor situation, and as a traditional option for day time formalwear....
for daywear.
Women's dress shoes
Women's dress shoes come in a variety of colors: blackBlack
Black is the color of objects that do not emit or reflect light in any part of the visible spectrum; they absorb all such frequencies of light...
, silver
Silver (color)
Silver is the metallic shade resembling gray, closest to that of polished silver.The visual sensation usually associated with the metal silver is its metallic shine. This cannot be reproduced by a simple solid color, because the shiny effect is due to the material's brightness varying with the...
, gold
Gold (color)
Gold, also called golden, is one of a variety of orange-yellow color blends used to give the impression of the color of the element gold....
, tan
Tan (color)
Tan is a pale whiteish, tawny shade of white. The name is derived from tannum used in the tanning of leather.The first recorded use of tan as a shade name in English was in the year 1590....
or white
White
White is a color, the perception of which is evoked by light that stimulates all three types of color sensitive cone cells in the human eye in nearly equal amounts and with high brightness compared to the surroundings. A white visual stimulation will be void of hue and grayness.White light can be...
and they may also match the color of the gown
Evening gown
An evening gown is a long flowing women's dress usually worn to a formal affair. It ranges from tea and ballerina to full-length. Evening gowns are often made of a luxury fabric such as chiffon, velvet, satin, or silk...
, dress
Dress
A dress is a garment consisting of a skirt with an attached bodice or with a matching bodice giving the effect of a one-piece garment.Dress may also refer to:*Clothing in general*Costume, fancy dress...
or suit being worn. Almost all women's dress shoes are high-heeled.
Pumps
Pumps are typically thought of as a staple in any woman's wardrobe, and come in a variety of colors and styles. They can have a rounded or pointed toe, and are usually made of leatherLeather
Leather is a durable and flexible material created via the tanning of putrescible animal rawhide and skin, primarily cattlehide. It can be produced through different manufacturing processes, ranging from cottage industry to heavy industry.-Forms:...
. They have a heel of at least 5 cm (2 inches). Today, pumps have evolved beyond the classic working woman's shoe. Now, there are peep toe pumps, which have a small opening at the toes. There are also pumps with ankle straps. Not only have the styles evolved, the fabrics have as well. While almost all pumps used to be made of leather, pumps now come in a variety of materials, such as suede
Suede
Suede is a type of leather with a napped finish, commonly used for jackets, shoes, shirts, purses, furniture and other items. The term comes from the French "gants de Suède", which literally means "gloves of Sweden"....
and wool
Wool
Wool is the textile fiber obtained from sheep and certain other animals, including cashmere from goats, mohair from goats, qiviut from muskoxen, vicuña, alpaca, camel from animals in the camel family, and angora from rabbits....
.
Slingbacks
The slingbackSlingback
A slingback is a type of woman's shoe that is backless and is characterized by a strap that crosses behind the heel or ankle. A slingback is distinguishable from an ankle-strap shoe in that the latter has a strap that crosses around the front of the ankle as well as the back.Slingbacks come in a...
is similar to the pump in that it can have a rounded or pointed toe and usually has a heel, but it doesn't wrap all the way around the heel like pumps usually do. Instead, it has a narrow strap that is pulled up over the heel, leaving the rest of the heel exposed.
Loafers
LoafersLoafers
Slip-ons are typically low, lace-less shoes. The style most commonly seen, known as a loafer or Slippers in American culture, has a moccasin construction. First appearing in the mid-1930s from Norway, they began as casual shoes, but have increased in popularity to the point of being worn in America...
are usually flat and typically thought of as more masculine and comfortable than anything with a heel. The typical loafer has a square toe, and comes in darker colors, such as black or brown. One spin on the loafer is the cloak, which is a slip-on shoe, just like the loafer is, but it has a heel and is a little more feminine than the average loafer.
Mules
MulesMule (footwear)
Mule, a French word, is a style of shoe that is backless and often closed-toed. Mules can be any heel height - from flat to high. The style is predominantly worn by women....
are shoes that slide onto the foot, and do not cover the heel or the back of the foot at all. These aren't considered dress shoes unless they have a heel.
Ballet flats
The ballet flatBallet flat
Ballet flats or Dolly shoes are derived from a woman's soft ballet slipper, with a very thin heel or the appearance of no heel at all. The style sometimes features a ribbon-like binding around the low tops of the slipper and may have a slight gathering at the top-front of the vamp and a tiny,...
hadn't been a popular fashion trend until some time after the first few years of the 21st century. Taken from the art of ballet, as their name implies, they are flat shoes with a rounded toe, and come in many different colors and patterns. The classic ballet flat has a small bow on the toe, but this style has evolved to include varieties without bows.