Are you looking for a beautiful way to make your wardrobe and sense of style a little bolder? Whether you’re dressing for work, everyday wear, or special occasions, you want your clothing style to be unique, on-trend, and — most importantly — expressive of your personality. But when you gravitate toward subtle colors, pick out professional clothing, or try to keep it classy, sometimes your wardrobe ends up looking a little too unvaried. How can you make a statement while still sporting your favorite styles?
The answer — of course — is shoes. No matter what occasions you’re dressing for and what kind of clothing you prefer, the type of shoes you choose can impact your outfit in a big way. When you want bolder outfits, choose bolder shoes. Here are some tips on styling looks with bright shoe colors.
Bright and Bold
Are you a fan of natural neutrals like tan, taupe, brown and black? Maybe you love the look of laid-back whites and grays — or maybe you’re a sucker for subtle, subdued shades with an urban edge. Whether you wear clothing of mostly one-color scheme or you like a soft, simple look, you don’t want to get stuck on one style. If bold colors aren’t something you want to incorporate into your wardrobe with your shirts, pants, and cardigans, choose bold shoe colors instead. A little pop of color can go a long way.
Next time you wear an outfit composed of safe, subtle shades, spice it up with a bright, beautiful pair of shoes. Offset your tan-and-white sweater and slacks with rich red ankle booties, or light up your lavender dress with sunny yellow flats. Royal blues, deep greens, rich purples, and other gem tones offset gray outfits gorgeously. If you don’t want to change much about your style, you don’t even have to — just change up your footwear.
Bold Shoe Colors
If you’re feeling a little braver, you can make your incorporation of bold shoe colors even bolder — by adding matching accents at the opposite end of your outfit. It’s called bookending, and it offsets your clothing by drawing out a single bright shade from both your feet and an accessory. For example, you can spice up a pale-yellow dress with bright red shoes and matching earrings, or offset a gray sweater with purple ankle booties and a violet-toned scarf. This simple but bold styling tactic makes a statement and makes your whole outfit pop.
Grey Shoes
While not a traditionally popular color of footwear, grey has emerged as a fashion favorite for years now. The tone falls somewhere in between basic hues and highlight tones, creating a unique look. Choose grey heels or boots in either suede or patent leather varieties and pair them with minimal colors and styles. Soft pinks, white, cream, charcoal, and black will provide your color palette a sweet spot.
Be Confident
Here’s our last tip — don’t be afraid to go bold! If your wardrobe needs some more color, venture out of your comfort zone by utilizing bright tones in your clothing as well as your shoes. Pair those bright blue shoes with a stunning blue sweater — and make sure only your pants are a neutral shade. Make a splash with bold yellow crop pants and eye-catching red mule shoes. Incorporating more color into your outfits can add more color to your life.
Buying the right shoes
Casual Sneakers
Vans Plimsols, Chucks, Sperry’s, etc. It’s important to have at least one pair of these types of shoes in your wardrobe. I personally like Sambas.
Pro-tip: Don’t buy from Adidas directly. Department stores like Sears carry them for 30% off most of the time. Having a dark and white pair is good
Casual Oxfords
As said earlier, when for casual use, Oxfords should not be shined. They actually look better if they’re a bit worn, so don’t be afraid to buy used. Can also be suede here.
Casual boots
Clark’s Desert Boots, Doc Mar-tens, etc. Don’t be afraid to eBay for vintage chukkas. You can get a beautiful pair of Florsheims for $30.
Some Quick Tips
- Shine your shoes after you buy them and before you wear them. Shine them regularly for as long as you own them.
- When you remove your shoes, insert a cedar shoe tree to draw out inner moisture and reshape the leather.
- Remove a salt stain as quickly as possible by lightly applying a mixture of 2/3 water, 1/3 vinegar with a rag, wiping off with clean damp rag, and drying with a towel.
- Waterproof your shoes with mink oil (may darken the color of the leather), a wax-based polish (light protection) or a specialty waterproofing compound (heavier protection).
- Clean your shoes dirt, stains, polish. Use a saddle soap, Ivory soap and do this regularly to remove layers of built-up specialty leather cleaner, Murphy’s Oil Soap, or avoid products that detergents or acids.
- To keep your shoes from drying out, every few months apply a specialty moisturizing conditioner or buff in a dab of petroleum jelly. If your shoes are wet, stuff them with newspaper or a small towel to draw out the moisture. Replace the paper/towels periodically as they get saturated. Never place your shoes near a heat source; this can dry out and crack the leather.
- Remove scuff marks by rubbing the scuff with non-gel toothpaste. Rinse, wipe, and let dry.
- When your shoes become really worn out, send them back to the manufacturer for refurbishing or resoling instead of buying a new pair.