• Hi, I am the owner and main administrator of Styleforum. If you find the forum useful and fun, please help support it by buying through the posted links on the forum. Our main, very popular sales thread, where the latest and best sales are listed, are posted HERE

    Purchases made through some of our links earns a commission for the forum and allows us to do the work of maintaining and improving it. Finally, thanks for being a part of this community. We realize that there are many choices today on the internet, and we have all of you to thank for making Styleforum the foremost destination for discussions of menswear.
  • This site contains affiliate links for which Styleforum may be compensated.
  • STYLE. COMMUNITY. GREAT CLOTHING.

    Bored of counting likes on social networks? At Styleforum, you’ll find rousing discussions that go beyond strings of emojis.

    Click Here to join Styleforum's thousands of style enthusiasts today!

    Styleforum is supported in part by commission earning affiliate links sitewide. Please support us by using them. You may learn more here.

Are there any alternatives to loafers for business-appropriate summer shoes?

Poser Hoser

Active Member
Joined
Oct 30, 2017
Messages
38
Reaction score
73
Hi all,

I know I'm going to get heckled on this one, but I'm going to post anyway.

I'm a 31 year old lawyer working in a fairly casual, small-town office. Having purchased some lighter-colored linen shirts and trousers and a few polos for office wear next summer, I'd like a pair of shoes or two that would work with those items, as I feel the dark brown leather cap-toes I currently wear don't look the part. I realize the obvious choice is the loafer; however, despite my own liking of most styles of loafer on other people, the clients I meet with regularly are rural farmers and laborers who wear work boots into the office, and I'm reluctant to start wearing loafers to work for fear of being a bit less relatable. I know, it's a stupid line of thought and I've created an arbitrary line at my ankles: why does this guy think his shoes will be a problem with his rural clients when he's already wearing breezy linen trousers? Or - how are loafers any more dressy and alienating than a pair of shiny leather brogue cap-toes? I don't know how to answer these questions other than to say that most/all men, rural or urban, laborer or professional, have dress shoes and dress clothes - but very few (at least where I live) wear loafers.

Please either convince me to get loafers or point me toward another style of shoe (maybe a lace-up?) that would work for office summer wear. I feel a suede derby or oxford could fit the bill but for reasons unknown to me, most menswear enthusiasts deem these to be fall-weather shoes. Perhaps a suede split toe such as this?

1294105


Gentlemen - heckle away.
 
Last edited:

breakaway01

Distinguished Member
Supporting Member
Joined
Aug 29, 2013
Messages
4,389
Reaction score
4,640
Agree. Nothing wrong with suede in warmer weather. Another possibility would be a chukka boot.
 

papa kot

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 1, 2012
Messages
419
Reaction score
99
Would do chukka boots or go with high-end sneakers. Think stealth, not flash.
 

Featured Sponsor

How important is full vs half canvas to you for heavier sport jackets?

  • Definitely full canvas only

    Votes: 92 37.2%
  • Half canvas is fine

    Votes: 90 36.4%
  • Really don't care

    Votes: 27 10.9%
  • Depends on fabric

    Votes: 42 17.0%
  • Depends on price

    Votes: 38 15.4%

Forum statistics

Threads
507,000
Messages
10,593,301
Members
224,351
Latest member
Rohitmentor
Top