Footwear, in my eyes, is the most critical part of any outfit. Someone could be wearing a stellar outfit, but if their shoes detract from the look – be it too chunky, too slim, clashing in colour, or whatever it may be – I tend to discount the entire fit as poor in my head. The beauty of footwear is the variety available, boots to runners to sneakers, it is truly a buyers market. There are, however, some types that I believe should be prioritised above others.
Chelsea Boot
The Chelsea boot epitomises class and versatility. If bought in a dark brown leather variant for example, it wouldn’t look out of place in a boardroom, a cocktail party, or even on a Sunday in Autumn strolling through the city. Of any shoe I have ever owned, they are the easiest to dress up and dress down. If I could only have one shoe, a dark-brown leather Chelsea boot would be the investment I would make 10 times out of 10. The only times where I have opted out of wearing my Chelsea’s have been on hot summer days, but in Auckland, those don’t number too high.
White Sneakers
The white sneaker has become such a staple in the 2020 lookbook, but it is a necessary part of any wardrobe especially in casual fits. It is hard to pick a casual outfit that won’t be complemented by the addition of white sneakers. While popular models include the Adidas Stan Smiths and the Nike Air Force Ones, it is of little consequence what brand or model you choose. There are a couple of considerations I would make, however, the first is ensuring the sneaker is predominantly white. Nowadays a lot of colourful sneakers are coming white that are multi-coloured, and if you are just looking to buy one sneaker, make sure it is white. The second is the chunkiness of the shoe. Something like the Air Force Ones are on the chunkier side whereas the Stan Smiths are slim in comparison. If your casual wardrobe has a lot of slim fitting pants, I would go for the latter option, and the former if you have a lot of loose-r fitting pants.