Al Borde Musica alternativa rock en espanol y cultura alterna

Like, Oh My God, Shoes!

Written by Rick Barzell

Wednesday, 09 January 2008

When thinking about what a female’s ultimate obsession is, shoes are usually what come to mind. As much as shoe styling is essential in a female’s outfit, it has come to my understanding that most men need to take such consideration in footwear as well. It seems as though most men don’t own many shoes. If this is your case, then you should at least own the essentials needed to pull off any outfit.

First Thing’s First

Paul Black Leather Winklepicker

Please get rid of those square-toed boxed dress shoes! It doesn’t matter if they were the new thing some years back. The truth of the matter is that they were never stylish! Given the fact that the squared-off end runs horizontal across your foot, these shoes tend to make your feet look fat. A way of avoiding this illusion is to wear narrower shoes. Dior Homme and Prada both produce some amazing pointy dress shoes and boots that are worth taking a look at. You can also find similar shoes for a lot cheaper if you’re not looking to put an intense dent in your wallet; a suggestion would be to take a look at rock n’ roll footwear websites such as Underground Shoes that is based out of the UK. These shoes tend to work great with any outfit, no matter how simple they are. Nowadays, males seem to be reverting back to the slim fit styles of the 1960’s. Narrower shoes definitely help to pull off that slim look, whether they’re worn with a slim-fit blazer/coat or tapered trousers.

When to Let Those Shoes Scream

Buckles, colors, laces, stitching, height, and type of material are all major details when it comes to shoes. However, many people make the mistake of wearing loud shoes when already wearing a loud or fancy outfit. Just as there’s such a thing as being underdressed, there’s also such a thing as being overdressed. This mistake causes attention to be drawn to your shoes rather than the overall outfit. These shoes should be saved for when one is wearing much more of a plain-colored outfit, including suits. A major detail when coming to dress shoes are buckles. Buckles are a good way of dressing up that plain outfit. Another good way of dressing up that outfit is to wear shiny patent leather shoes.

Give ‘Em the Boot

Florsheim Duke

Another way of giving that outfit a bit more flare is to slip on those stylish boots. I’m not talking about cowboy boots either, but much more fancy dress boots. A major look that is being seen around town is the Beatle boot. These come in either a zip-up style or a slip on “Chelsea” style. You can find a good pair of these at an affordable price either at a vintage store or even online shoe stores. Some styles to look up are the classic Florsheim boot, or even the 60’s pointy-toed Beatle boots that either come with a flat heel or a Cuban-heel (for those of you who like to get down like James Brown). You can find replicas of these classic boots from the Beatwear company website which is based out of Liverpool and actually style their boots after the original Italian suppliers of the Beatles. These boots are making a comeback through many British rock stars such as Pete Doherty.

Bringing that Outfit Down a Notch (in a fashionable way of course)

Clarks Deser Boot in Brown Suede

As I mentioned in the last paragraph, there are times when one does feel like wearing that loud outfit. The outfit can come in the form of a fancy suit or blazer, or maybe even just colorful casual clothing. If this is the case, it is sometimes a good idea to wear a much more casual shoe. A huge hit amongst recent runway shows is the comeback of the plain black or white pair of plimsole sneakers. These sneakers can be found at extremely cheap prices from a variety of online vendors (I’ve seen a few Ebay vendors selling them for as low as $20 a pair). These shoes can dress down any outfit and are a major fashion accessory. Clark’s desert boots are also being seen time and time again. Desert boots were once the essential mod clothing item of the 1960’s and were worn by such bands as The Who and The Small Faces. J. Crew now makes a really great desert boot as well with a variety of different colors in suede with a foam-style sole. Another major 1960’s comeback is the bowling shoe which was also a major fashion item during the mod era. Many different designers have brought back a version of the plain bowling shoe that is sure to bring a fashionably casual look to your outfit. My personal favorite would have to be the MERC London line of bowling shoes.

Weller Bowling Shoe by MERC London

Think Twice

Next time you’re putting on an outfit, you should definitely start thinking about what shoes to wear as well. Shoes can be that key ingredient needed to pull off any outfit. So now I advise you to stock up on shoes that will work in any of these situations, and I don’t mean going out and buying the best that money could buy either. Many great one-of-a-kind shoes can be found at your local vintage and thrift shop, so I advise you to make an adventure out of it. Now if you’re the lazy type, there’s always Ebay. If this is your case then please remember that we do live in the USA and have a different shoe sizing as compared to overseas and other countries alike. With all this said and done, good luck on your shoe hunting and/or happy bidding!

Photos Courtesy Of:
www.merc-clothing.com
www.undergroundshoes.co.uk
www.zappos.com

Rick Barzell
		Acerca del Autor:
		Rick is obsessed with primitive rock n’ roll and is the bass player for the 60’s style psychedelic/garage band the Living Sickness. He’s also a collector and DJ of rare 60’s 45 records and loves wearing dark clothing with pointy shoes. He can never decide between a suit and tie or a leather jacket. So is he a mod or a rocker? One thing is certain however, he is one badass motherf*cker!

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