Buckle Up for Our Top Tips on Buying and Wearing Buckled Shoes

While women have their stilettos, pumps, ballet flats, boots — the list goes on — men’s shoe styles are more conservative. With minimal detail differences between oxfords and derby shoes and continued confusion between the desert boot and dress boot, men’s shoe options can seem underwhelming. Looking to step up your shoe game? Meet the dress shoe that kills it in casual  and formal wear alike: the buckle shoe.

Add this style to your arsenal of shoes with ease when you check out our top tips for buying and wearing these buckled beauties.

Buy Brown

Black looks luxe with formal wear while an ombre fade speaks to a casual-cool statement shoe. While these options are sleek in their own ways, we suggest a traditional brown buckle shoe that is sophisticated enough to take on the best of both worlds. Wear them with gray or blue suits for a business look that takes it to the next level. Style them with jeans for a pair of casual kicks with a sartorial flair.

Try a Brigade

Go beyond bland for a seriously stylish shoe when you buy a buckle shoe with brigade detailing. Brigade, for those of you not privy to this proper term, refers to the pattern of perforations found on the toe and seams of dress shoes.

Keep Your Pants Cropped

Show off your shoes with a pant that frames your feet. A cropped trouser or cuffed denim won’t cover up your buckles and will allow your shoes to shine. Are short pants outside your style lexicon? The key is to find the right height for your size. Wider men should keep them longer while slender men can go higher. As a general rule of thumb, try going for an inch above your ankle bone.

Tone Down the Trendy Socks

Fun, colorful socks are a sartorial favorite amongst stylish men and a trend that doesn’t look like it’s losing steam. But for a shoe that can speak for itself, don’t make it share the spotlight with your trendy socks. Keep your socks minimal for the perfect black canvas that feature these fancy shoes.

Ditch your lace-ups for something a little more interesting. Buckle shoes put the pep back into your boring business shoes and the style back into your weekend wardrobe.

They say 'a shoe makes a man' so invest in a shoe that has serious sartorial power.