All posts tagged: Shoes

What Color Shoes Should You Wear With a Gray Suit?

What Color Shoes Should You Wear With a Gray Suit?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Choosing the right shoes to wear with a gray suit usually begins with color: black, chocolate brown, maybe something more seasonal. And that’s a good place to start. It’s not where the decision ends. “The biggest determining factor in finding the right footwear for a gray suit is going to be your cloth,” says Chase Winfrey, editorial director of the New York bespoke tailor J. Mueser. “That makes up so much of whether a suit is casual or formal. A worsted wool charcoal suit… feels much more formal than a linen suit.” In other words, listen to the suit. Color is a baseline. Fabric, texture, and even the cut determine whether a pair of shoes actually works with a certain suit. Here’s how to determine which color shoes you should wear with your gray suit, according to tailoring experts. Styling the spectrum from light gray to charcoal Shade is a great way to narrow things down. On the one end of the spectrum, light gray suits lean more casual, so lighter, softer shoes like tan …

Timberland’s Beefed-Up Boat Shoes Go Beyond the Yacht Club

Timberland’s Beefed-Up Boat Shoes Go Beyond the Yacht Club

Published by Jenni Sidey

It’s probably not news to you that boat shoes have been enjoying a moment. Worried lacing up a pair will mark you as a sailor—or, worse yet, a finance guy en route to a Nantucket bachelor party? Don’t be: these Timberland boat shoes have weathered significantly worse than mere stolen valor accusations, and they happen to be the perfect gateway (or, uh, marina) to the genre. If that name doesn’t ring any bells, it might be because it’s new: for years, Timberland simply called silhouette the Three-Eye Lug Sole Shoe, until the brand wisely leaned into the rising nautical-style tide. Smart move. With its handsewn moc-toe upper and 360-eyelet lacing system, it looks every bit the classic boat shoe. Except, that is, for its beefy lug sole, a savvy addition that takes the silhouette from preppy to damn-near-punk in the time it takes for you to clock it. You can still rock a pair with chinos and a polo, but that telltale sole means they’ll take just as well to baggy jeans and a hoodie, …

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: well, hello dolly shoes! The heels that are actually comfortable | Fashion

Jess Cartner-Morley on fashion: well, hello dolly shoes! The heels that are actually comfortable | Fashion

Published by Sam Flores

It seems wild to me now that I used to wear heels – and I mean high heels – every day. To work, and then out afterwards, 12, 15 hours straight. But at the time it felt entirely normal. The discomfort was one of those daily traumas you become desensitised to, the same way that rush-hour commuters don’t think twice about spending a train ride nose-deep in a stranger’s armpit. Blisters, heel tips bitten off by gratings, the odd sprained ankle, and constant taxi rides I could ill afford were all part of everyday life. The Guardian’s journalism is independent. We will earn a commission if you buy something through an affiliate link. Learn more. The stiletto’s long reign of terror began losing its hold in the streetwear-obsessed 2010s, and then along came lockdown and the comfort-first revolution. This has been the decade of the loafer and the party flat. My collection of needle-thin, 4-inch-plus Manolos, Louboutins and Choos now live in a display cabinet, the gorgeous but obsolete relics of an ancien régime. But reports of the death of the heel …

‘Not hanging up my dancing shoes’

‘Not hanging up my dancing shoes’

Published by Daniella Wilson

On Tuesday, months of speculation ended as the BBC confirmed that Emma Willis, Josh Widdicombe and Johannes Radebe would all be the hosts of the upcoming series of Strictly Come Dancing. However, the move is a bittersweet one for fans of the South African-born dancer who would have been looking forward to seeing him perform on the show. However, appearing on BBC Radio 2 alongside his new co-hosts, Johannes confirmed that fans would still be able to watch him dance on the show, even though it won’t be with a celebrity partner. Johannes said questions about his dancing future on the show were the main ones that he had received, and Emma confirmed she would be “bereft” if the pro dancer stopped performing. In response, the 39-year-old said: “No, listen, I’m not hanging [up] my dancing shoes yet. I’m not, I’m not. I will definitely be throwing some shapes and moving my hips. I can’t [not]. That’s my life. WATCH: Meet the new hosts of Strictly Come Dancing He continued: “For it to be just taken …

The 8 Best New Summer Shoes for Setting Your Dogs Free

The 8 Best New Summer Shoes for Setting Your Dogs Free

Published by Jenni Sidey

When men think about their feet, it’s rarely in neutral terms. Opinions can range from coy avoidance, outright disgust, or, occasionally, something approximating pride, but not quite. These insecurities can go unaddressed for a lifetime—leading, presumably, to a higher rate of toenail fungus compared to women, but also, perhaps more tragically, a dearth of embracing fun, toe-forward footwear. And yet, last summer there was no escaping the mandal. With a revival of vintage styles, it felt only logical that the oldest shoe silhouette in recorded history made a comeback too. On the first night of Paris Fashion Week, GQ’s own Samuel Hine spotted 43 pairs of Havaianas-like sandals at three runway shows. (The Brazilian brand’s parent company, Alpargatas, saw a whopping 429 percent increase in annual net profit in 2025.) Soon, the sandal revolution hit the celebrities: Jonathan Bailey bared toe in a pair of The Row flops at a London photo call for Jurassic World Rebirth; Bad Bunny, before his Tonight Show performance, stepped into a brutal New York City winter barely protected by …

I’m Breaking Up With Black Loafers

I’m Breaking Up With Black Loafers

Published by Jenni Sidey

At 3 a.m., in an Uber in Mexico City, I decided to go cold turkey on black loafers. There had been five of us at the bar that night, all visiting from various U.S. cities. All men, ages 28 to 30, with three pairs of acetate glasses and multiple curly pseudo-mullets between us. (Last summer, there were anti-gentrification protests in the neighborhood about exactly this situation.) When we stepped outside for a cigarette, I looked down, and noticed another thing in common: We were all wearing nearly identical leather loafers. The five-man footwear flush was hard to stomach. After that, I was haunted by loafers, like when you notice a playing card on the sidewalk then start to see them everywhere. But I couldn’t quit wearing them. My girlfriend and I both wore black loafers to a recent dinner date—the North Brooklyn equivalent of a couple in matching Jordans. When New York City saw its first hot days this month, the skimpy shorts/black loafers guys reemerged like cicadas, going for Paul Mescal but looking like …

Everyone’s Buying the Same New Balance Sneakers… Why Not Try These Ones Instead?

Everyone’s Buying the Same New Balance Sneakers… Why Not Try These Ones Instead?

Published by Jenni Sidey

While everyone else was chasing louder, busier sneakers, New Balance doubled down on comfort, quality and genuinely pleasing sillhouettes. Then fashion caught up. Suddenly, the same mesh runners that once screamed “middle management” became cool. These days, everyone’s wearing the 550 or the 2002R or the 991v1. But outside the obvious pairs, there’s a whole world of underrated NB silhouettes that deserve waaay more attention. Take the 530 and the 9060. If you’re into chunky retro kicks, these are it. The 530 actually dates back to the early ’90s as a proper performance running shoe before getting revived as a lifestyle model years later. The 9060, meanwhile, is the Boston sportswear company going full retro-futurist. Introduced in 2022, it takes inspiration from classic 99X models and exaggerates everything: giant midsoles, warped proportions, oversized details. It feels like somebody stretched a 990 in Photoshop (in the best possible way, of course). Then you’ve got the newer, flatter stuff like the 204L and the RC56. While the rest of the sneakerverse spent the past five years making …

Ask a GQ Editor: What Kooky Loafers Should I Buy?

Ask a GQ Editor: What Kooky Loafers Should I Buy?

Published by Jenni Sidey

Welcome to Retail Therapist. There are many modalities when it comes to counseling—mine is shop therapy. In each session, we’ll go deep into the psyche of purchasing and answer real shopping queries, conundrums, and crises from the fashion anxious. “Gerald, what kooky loafers should I get next? I’ve been wearing these Lemaire slippers almost daily for two years now and think I’m about to wear them to the ground. I need something that feels formal enough to wear to the office as well as weddings, but freaky enough that I don’t feel like I’m clocking in at Pierpoint & Co.” —Loaferless in New York A great pair of loafers is that rare sort of hybrid shoe that actually is a jack of all trades. It’s the shoe I default to when I’m carefully composing an all-time greatest fit and when I’m barreling out the door to catch the train. So I see you and I hear you. Wandering the Earth in a loaferless state isn’t a great feeling, nor is it one that anyone deserves. …

The Nike ACG Line Is Hitting a New Peak With the Pegasus Trail Shoe

The Nike ACG Line Is Hitting a New Peak With the Pegasus Trail Shoe

Published by Jenni Sidey

Nike’s ACG (All Conditions Gear) line dates back to the late ‘80s. The sublabel’s initial inception was built around the idea of exploration. My own interest in, and light obsession with, ACG started when I noticed the label’s approach to sneaker-boot hybrids online. This eventually led me down a dark path, where I spent many a late night skulking around eBay like Gollum, bidding on used gear from the ‘90s. The ethos of the gear that I grew up loving can still be found in the tech-y, cutting-edge designs ACG sells today. The brand helped usher gorpcore to the forefront of the menswear conversation, before we even had a term to describe the aesthetic so many of us love. The field is more crowded than it was back in the day, but if you spend time poking around Nike, you can put together an elite assortment of fits, all of which indicate that ACG has yet to reach its peak. Bowen Fernie / GQ I like to think that the ACG line is where some …

I’ve tested more than 50 walking shoes and this is my favorite from Skechers for comfort—now more than half price

I’ve tested more than 50 walking shoes and this is my favorite from Skechers for comfort—now more than half price

Published by Jenni Sidey

Skechers make some of the comfiest walking shoes money can buy, and they’re affordable to boot (pardon the pun). Of the 50-plus shoes I’ve tried, I’ve tested six by Skechers, clocking up 240,000 steps and 45 hours with the brand. My pick off the bunch is the Aero Spark so I’m always pleased when I see it on offer, and you can currently get up to 51% off the women’s shoe and 34% off the men’s. Latest Videos From The Aero Spark is technically a road running shoe, but it’s great for walking too. It’s bouncy and well-cushioned underfoot, which takes some of the effort out of running and walking. The shoe does some of the work for you. On top of this, the toe box leaves plenty of room for your toes to splay naturally and even space for wider feet and minor bunions. I often find even the most well-cushioned shoes can be too narrow around the toes, so a roomy toe box is a big must for me. Today’s best Skechers Aero …