Men’s shorts are in fashion again, more than ever before. Along with that, clothing designers have pushed the movement forward with specially designed shorts for all kinds of weather and shorts to wear on different social occasions. Not only do you wear shorts when going out; it’s also necessary to wear shoes, especially the right shoe to go with the short’s material, color, and the occasion for wearing them. Men wish to be fashion conscious and will often ask, Which men’s shoes should I wear with shorts?
Shorts are generally worn on casual social occasions but there are exceptions. Going away on a retreat with your company is one example.
Here are the different kinds of shoes that will compliment your shorts and shirt.
- Running shoes
- Flip flops
- Boat shoes
- Canvas sneakers
- Espadrilles
- Sandals
There is a lot of variety today in terms of shoe styles, color selections, and shoe materials. When deciding on the right shoe to wear with shorts, you need to take into consideration the color, materials, and style of the shoe. All three of these should match well with shorts.
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Shoe Choice With Shorts And Shirt
Shirts, shoes and choice of shorts depend on the event for which you’re wearing them. If it’s for a beach party, it’s likely you’ll wear a t-shirt and casual style shorts. In this case, casual shoes like boat shoes or sandals are a good choice.
How about when you attend a party at night indoors? It’s likely you’d wear a shirt that will have buttons and a more stylish than a beach party. Along with this you’ll wear better quality shorts that match the shirt best. On these occasions, since the party is indoors, you can wear loafers or lace up shoes.
We’ll get into more detail about shoe choice, but the thing to remember is that the shoes are never the focal point when wearing shorts. In fact, the shorts are not supposed to be. Rather it is your face and the shirt you’re wearing that you want people to look at.
You don’t want to draw attention to your shoes. This means that you should never wear socks that are visible, including calf length, knee length, mid-calf, quarter-length or crew socks. Socks that aren’t visible to the eye, such as ankle length socks are permissible.
Let’s talk about different types of shoes and for what occasions they’ll be worn, and the type of shorts they’ll be best matched to.
Brogues
There was a time when brogues were the men’s dress shoe. The leather uppers are made of two parts so often you will see color combinations like white and brown. Brogues come in different shades of brown, burgundy and black.
Today, brogues make a unique fashion statement with dressy shorts and an Oxford type shirt. This type of outfit is considered “smart casual.”
Brogue design falls into three separate categories: full brogue (which includes a wingtip), half brogue and quarter brogue. Half brogues have a toe cap and the remainder of the upper consists of perforations distinct from each other (like the aforementioned white and brown brogue.
The difference between a half and quarter brogue is that a quarter brogue has no decorative perforations extending out for the toe cap. As you can see, you have many options with the brogue shoe.
Flip Flops
At the other end of the shoe spectrum from brogues are flip flops. They communicate casual relaxation, walking along the beach or through plazas for a little shopping.
They are not meant to be worn for long walks because there is little arch support. Usually providing no arch support for the feet. They act as a barrier between the ground and the feet.
Flips flops are more stylish today. In the heat of summer, flip flops are breathable, and they keep your feet cool; they are intended strictly for summer weather.
A plain t-shirt with denim shorts work well with flip-flops. You’ll want to keep the shorts and shirts you wear with flop flops casual.
Boat Shoes
If you’re meeting friends for a casual occasion that lasts throughout the day, and it is hot out, the best choice is boat shoes. Boat shoes come in a lot of different colors, so it will be easy to match shoe color with shorts.
Don’t wear socks at all, and the boat shoes will keep your feet cool and comfortable. Boat shoes are associated with summer, so their style will be casual.
Look for boat shoes that have good ventilation. They should absorb sweat. The material to look for in the boat shoe upper is leather, because leather will conform to the shape of your foot and will also keep your feet cooler than any other material. Leather also absorbs perspiration.
Never compromise on the fit of boat shoes. If it doesn’t fit right, you will always be conscious of your feet, because of the discomfort you have wearing poor fitting boat shoes.
The original purpose of boat shoes was to be able to move around a boat deck while the boat is in motion. The deck is usually slippery, so boat shoes have a great reputation for having a great grip on the surface. You’ll see boat shoes whose soles include a feature known as “siping,” referring to the wave pattern under the shoe. Siping provides great traction on slippery surfaces.
Although originally made for gripping the wet deck of a boat while sailing, boat shoes today are much more versatile and can be worn in the office, while travelling, on the beach, and when going on a date.
Boat shoes are distinctive and attractive and say a lot about your personality to your date. The first item of clothing women look at when meeting a man, is his shoes, more than his pants, shorts, or his shirt. When you pass the first test with stylish boat shoes, the shorts and shirt will be next.
Broken in boat shoes will be more comfortable than sneakers, sandals, and pretty much anything else. This is why they’re great to wear when you’re traveling, either on a long flight or a driving trip.
When wearing boat shoes with shorts, strike a balance between the style of shorts and the shoes. If you wear boat shoes that attract the eye because of color or style, wear a conservative pair of shorts that don’t scream for attention. You can also wear, instead, stylish colorful shorts with a conservatively styled boat shoe of a neutral color. You don’t want to have too much going on.
The brand usually associated with boat shoes is Sperry. The Sperry company created and designed men’s boat shoes and put out its first product around 1935 and have been thriving ever since. One of the largest retailers of men’s boat shoes is Nordstrom.
Canvas Sneakers
Sneakers are another kind of causal shoe to wear and are great for relaxation and for doing a lot of walking. You don’t want to wear sneakers when barefoot because of its rougher sides. Even though good sneakers can be made from leather, there is usually rubber stripping along the entire edge of the upper, and your feet will remain in constant contact with the rubber.
You’ve heard the old adage, “You get what you pay for.” This is particularly true when buying men’s shoes of any kind. Men are much harder on shoes than women are. Expect a lot out of them. Women don’t kick things like men do with their shoes, nor do they move quickly in different directions wearing shoes like men do. We assume our shoes will do whatever we want them to. If you want a sneaker that will be there for you no matter whether you jump up and down, or kicking around a soccer ball, or playing hoops, you’ve got to invest more in quality shoes and sneakers.
These features should come with any sneaker:
High quality construction: Lightweight, durable, flexible, and are made from one piece. Composite sneakers may not last as long as uniform, one piece construction sneakers.
You’ll want sneakers that have superior ankle support. You’ve heard the term “Achilles heel” used to describe someone’s worst weakness. The term is used because this part of the foot is the weakest and is a situation just above the heel and under the ankle.
Sneakers go best with stylish athletic shorts made from nylon or jersey materials. There has been an upsurge in the popularity of the street look, so sneakers go well with longer cut athletic shorts while wearing a shirt or a blazer that fits the streetwear style.
Sneakers also go with chinos and denim shorts. Remember that the less colorful your sneakers are, the more choices you’ll have for the color of your shorts and shirt.
For example, denim shorts, an olive green pattern shirt, buttoned or pullover, and white sneakers are a great combination.
Chinos come in a lot of colors but neutral brown is the most popular. The top can be blue, or have pink and red tones, and this will go great with darker colored sneakers. Cole-Haan, available at Nordstrom. makes a knit sneaker in colors such as solid marine, dark grey and black, as well as colors in the dark red and burgundy family.
Sandals
Arguably one of the worst looks for men is wearing sandals with socks – especially white socks. Socks and sandals rarely if ever make a good impression.
Sandals also tell a lot about the wearer’s personality. It is a bad fashion choice to wear sandals to parties, the office, or on a trip. Sandals should only be worn to the beach or on a picnic.
Sandals communicate that the wearer is in chill mode and doesn’t care if anyone knows it. If you’re going from house to beach, then sandals are an absolute must.
Only wear sandals when your nails are trimmed and your feet are clean, as if you’ve just scrubbed your feet in the shower. No one wants to look at dirty feet with long, uncut nails.
Now the good news about sandals: they are perfect to wear with shorts, preferred even over pants. If you are going to be doing a lot of walking in your sandals, make sure to buy sandals with quality construction.
Many high-quality sandals are found at Nordstrom, both in their store and on their website. Brands like Versace, Nike and Salvatore Ferragamo, make sandals that are not only fashionable, but have great, durable construction.
Remember not to wear socks with sandals. More men wear socks today with sandals, but survey after survey, mostly of women, feel it’s a bad look, almost pretentious, as if the wearer has the nerve to break some code in society about socks with sandals.
In this article, we encourage a look of walking barefoot with every type of shoe that’s worn with shorts. Only ankle length socks are acceptable with shoes worn with shorts, concealed within the shoe and necessary to wear with most shoes and shirt combinations – except sandals.
We also recommend limiting sandal wearing to walking along the beach or the house. It is believed by many that sandals are only to be worn indoors, but styles have changed and perhaps someday, sandals and knee high socks will be in fashion. Until then, it’s a style faux pas.
Espadrilles
Espadrilles bridge the gap between indoor and outdoor shoes. Espadrilles have enough a sole for short walking trips yet can be worn for indoor occasions as well.
Espadrilles are perfect for vacations, at the beach but also walking through outdoor shopping areas, or in and out of buildings and stores. Espadrilles have limited usage because of its thin sole and is really not built to be snug around the feet.
You should never wear socks with espadrilles. In fact, if ankle socks can be avoided, then don’t wear them.
Fashion Sense 101: Style Coordination
You could buy the most popular, most expensive footwear and wear it to a party with shorts and a shirt. But they will make less of an impact and possibly even look awkward on you without implementing the right proper style and color coordination.
Certain shoe colors go with everything, such as white and black. Blue will match aqua, yellow, white, pink, khaki, black, and crimson.
Whatever shoes you choose to wear, lean towards natural colors and earth tones. Remember, the shoes should make a more passive statement and they’re to be worn to support the shorts and the shirt.
Shirts
For most occasions wearing shorts and casual suits, the best shirt options remain polo shorts or casual button shirts. Chambray long sleeve shirts with buttons can be worn outside the shorts. A more “professional” statement is made when you tuck the shirt in.
When wearing a long-sleeve shirt, simply roll up the sleeves to give you a “professional guy being causal” look.
Shorts
The choice of shorts you wear will be based on its color and its length. A lot of fashion mistakes can be made by wearing shorts that are too short, too baggy, or too wide at the hips.
Avoid baggy shorts in social situations. This includes cargo shorts and safari shorts. Pockets everywhere, in the front, sides and back are to be avoided as well.
Most guys traditionally wear shorts that are solid and without patterns. Their colors are usually khaki, white, navy blue, olive, and beige or bone. Note that if you don’t wear white or off white shaded shorts, then the color should veer in the direction of dark.
If you decide to wear plaid, wear a solid colored darker polo shirt. Too many bright colors together will come off as “loud.” For example, if you wear light brown plaid shorts, wear a blue, black or olive green shirt.
Shorts that are too short will invariably draw attention to your crotch, and this is definitely not something you want to have happen in social situations. Avoid swim shorts and gym shorts in social situations at all costs.
Shoes
The best shoe options for social occasions wearing shorts are sneakers and boat shoes. Choosing the right color sneakers for a matching shorts and shirt outfit should not be too hard.
Always remember to choose sneakers that don’t have a lot of bells and whistles. When wearing sneakers, lean in the direction of style instead of functionality.
This means that if you wear basketball sneakers, they should be the most conservative type sneakers, not a puffy look or larger looking on your feet. Avoid cleated sneakers, which will draw attention to them and away from shorts and shirt. The Adidas NMD R1 is a sneaker that looks like a sneaker version of a stylish shoe.
Another great-looking sneaker for social occasions is the Gucci M90 sneaker, both durable and stylish. Both of these sneakers and many more can be found at Nordstrom or online at their website.
Boat shoes are the most versatile option when wearing shorts. There has been so much fashion improvement in boat shoes that it is easy to find any style you want to go with any shirt and shorts combination you wear.
You can have a tasseled boat shoe, or moccasin style, laced or slip on. The uppers come in suede or leather in just about every color you can imagine.
The great thing about boat shoes is that they make a statement, without being glaring or too obvious. Shoes compliment a wardrobe without drawing attention to themselves.
