3-4 day business trip: OneShoe

[The Louche]

We've had similar talks before, but here's something very specific:

You take a job that requires frequent 3-4 day business trips. On the trips you have normal day-to-day activities like sales calls and client meetings that require suit and tie. You also have lots of business happy hours, dinners, and social events.

Smart travelers pack as light as possible. You will only be taking two pairs of shoes TOTAL on the trip, one being athletic shoes. This means your other pair needs to be all things business/dress-casual. What do you bring?

My vote is a full strap penny in #8, similar to the popular Alden model. Ideally it wouldn't have a steel shank, but that's kind of beside the point. What do you thins offers maximum utility?

 

[holymadness]

Any brown shoe would be fine, assuming you are not wearing charcoal suits.

 

[asdf]

Dark brown wingtip/longwing
Dark brown monk

 

[nmprisons]

smart shoe owners bring two pairs of dress shoes. wearing the same pair four days in a row doesn't seem worth few extra pounds in your carry-on. sorry for breaking your hypo, but it is true.

 

[The Louche]

Originally Posted by holymadness

Any brown shoe would be fine, assuming you are not wearing charcoal suits.

Wouldnt burgundy be better? It goes with anything other than black.

 

[holymadness]

I have never found an occasion in which dark brown shoes did not serve just as well as burgundy. They are both very versatile. That being said, I have never much liked the look of burgundy shoes with a charcoal suit.

 

[hangthree]

A black monkstrap works for me...from suits to jeans.

 

[onix]

Originally Posted by The Louche

Wouldnt burgundy be better? It goes with anything other than black.

Burgundy = Brown in term of versatility. See http://www.styleforum.net/showthread.php?t=115320

 

[AntiHero84]

It really would depend on what you plan on wearing during the 4 days.

But to give a boiler-plate suggestion, I would say some dark brown oxfords or cap-toes. It seems like the most versatile option, for both casual and business situations. I don't think loafers would work best if one is in a formal business situation.

 

[lee_44106]

You forgot to count the pair on your feet.

So there's the extra pair to consider.

 

[countdemoney]

Originally Posted by nmprisons

smart shoe owners bring two pairs of dress shoes. wearing the same pair four days in a row doesn't seem worth few extra pounds in your carry-on. sorry for breaking your hypo, but it is true.
Yep, two pair of dress shoe. If bringing slip-ons, wear those through security, otherwise wear the athletic shoe.

 

[Cary Grant]

That was my life for a stretch...

I brought my brown double monks and a brown captoe. Both worked with suits/sportcoats and with jeans.

 

[archetypal_yuppie]

What is with SF?

Black shoes! BLACK! Black goes with everything! Black is conservative! Black is the universal standard!

captoe, loafer if you need the comfort/travel bonus, whatever...

Weirdos.

 

[whiteslashasian]

I have a pair of deep chestnut punchcap derbies that I think would work well in the given scenario.

 

[whiteslashasian]

Originally Posted by archetypal_yuppie

What is with SF?

Black shoes! BLACK! Black goes with everything! Black is conservative! Black is the universal standard!

captoe, loafer if you need the comfort/travel bonus, whatever...

Weirdos.

lol, Black is too severe for a casual daytime or happy hour look IMHO.