Shoes and Shades – Footwear in Other Colors

Shoes come primarily in two colors: black and brown. Throw in the family of burgundy colors, and maybe we’ve got a third. But there are other options out there that make perfect choices for the more adventurous. Now is the perfect time of year to step out in something a little different, so here are some of my favorite colorful hooves.

One color I’ve seen popping up a lot lately is green. In particular, olive and other yellowy-brown greens. These St. Crispin’s from The Armory are perfect examples of what you can achieve in this palate range. The deep, rich green of the shoes on the left would make a great evening shoe (not unlike a bottle green dinner jacket in concept), while the lighter pair to the right set off nicely against grey and tan trousers. Neither is outlandish, but just different enough to add some interest.

Blue suede has been popular for decades (whether you want to attribute it to Elvis or not is another matter), but blue calf doesn’t get spoken about much. The vibrant Corthay loafers might look nice with casual clothes as a slightly more structured replacement for neon driving loafers. Dove grey tropical worsted trousers seem perfect to me. At the other end are the Leffot limited edition double monks by Edward Green in navy cordovan. These strike me as being every bit as basic as a brown or black shoe, even if you might not think so at first glance.

Then there is a color called “Lie de Vin” that I believe is special to Pierre Corthay. It walks the line between burgundy and full-on red, and does so pretty delicately. I could see these shoes being either really shocking with the wrong clothes or extremely subtle with the right clothes. Think navy not grey, and keep the accessories in check. Only one “statement” piece at a time please.

Or you could always just go all-out. I won’t be anytime soon, but the options are out there if you want them. Aubergine, red suede, and crazy patent shoes are all there for the picking if you feel you must. Perfect examples of great craftsmanship not always translating into great taste.

 

Thanks to Ethan and Leffot for photos