I think finding boots that are appropriate for the office, and the bar, is a daunting task.
What are everyone's thoughts on the growing trend of "dress boots"? Do you all have any recommendations?
Personally, I would only consider boots to be somewhat formal if they have blind eyelets.
A perfect example that comes to mind is:
Posted Mar 7, 2018, 4:00 PM UTC
https://www.meermin.es/en/oak-shearling-boots
These are a dress boots. Also I paired my black Chelsea boots with my suit on colder days. While it's not the best and sleekest look (compared to Oxfords for example) it gives a little rugged yet formal appearance and is acceptable to wear in formal settings.
Nothing substantial to add, just wanted to say that those look undeniably comfortable...
Do those not get hot because of the lining when working indoors?
They look toasty, but I've always wondered about how to clean the lining.
How formal is your office?
I'd say mine is more medium business casual, so I get to wear clean, well-cut flannels or sweaters with slacks and my dark brown 1000 Miles do not look out of place whatsoever. Then I untuck the flannel and go to the bar.
I feel like I've seen so many different kinds of boots that work for daytime at the office and nighttime at the bar or dinner. Also, this is totally dependent on how formal your office is and what kind of weather you live in and what your personal style is. What specifically are you looking for our thoughts on/recommendations for -- i.e types of boots, brands, how to style....?
I find those J&M boots hideous. I don't care that they have blind eyelets, the two tone + cap toe + semi-broguing is just too much for me. But that's just my opinion, take w/ a grain of salt. There are definitely chukka boots that I would like better than the J&Ms, like these or these.
In general, I prefer a full boot rather than a chukka style boot for both casual wear and office wear. I love what Tricker's is doing with boots -- I love a thick contrast sole. Mr Porter did a piece on how to wear boots with suits that's a decent primer. It doesn't have as many outfit pics as I would have wanted, but that might help.
What specifically are you looking for our thoughts on/recommendations for -- i.e types of boots, brands, how to style....?
More so just trying to get thoughts on what is appropriate / what makes a boot formal or not.
I work for a small Private Equity firm - business casual is the standard, but it (literally) pays to be a bit more fashionable (i.e. don't look like you work in IT, but don't "overdress"). It's a weird balance. I find chukkas to fit within that balance but interested in other boot ideas to switch it up a little.
Sorry, but what does “don’t look like you work in IT” mean? I work in IT and had no idea there was a stigma there.
Do you mean “don’t show up to work in t-shirt and jeans?”
We IT guys dress like dogshit, it's a meme at this point
Maybe its just where I work, but I thought it was more of a “middle-age to old dad” thing than an IT thing, but perhaps its a mix of both.
Didn't mean to offend. I think the stigma is that most people in IT are not as fashionable. Oversized, straight legged, pleated khakis, black square toe dress shoes, and teal dress shirts come to mind.
No worries, I’m not offended lol. I just didn’t know the stereotype actually existed outside of pop culture/media like tv shows and movies
Truuuuu
Probably best to look at English, Italian and Spanish shoemakers for good range of dress boots as they have a good history of making such things.
Allen Edmomds Dalton boots would look great with any outfit you would normally wear a broqued wingtip with.
Meermin has a lot of interesting offerings here: https://www.meermin.es/en/shop/caballero/coleccion-clasica/botas.html. The chukkas are not super dressy, and suede isn't super dressy, and the grainy leather you see here isn't super dressy, but the jodhpurs are good, and so are these laced wingtip boots: https://www.meermin.es/en/10150411130000he-13-101504-copper-antique-calf-e-cobre.html
I never understood why boots don't work as formal wear. Some of those dress boots I see are just as sleek as any dress shoe.
I'm also a little boot biased. I currently own no dress boots per se but I do have some burgundy double monk strap boots. https://imgur.com/a/sEkbI
Boots absolutely work as formal wear! But you have to walk a fine line, for example the double monk boots you posted, to me are just a little bit too chunky to work. Those may work well in a business casual setting, but may look out of place with a suit.
These work great with a suit due to their slim/elegant profile: https://www.crockettandjones.com/camberley-darkbrown-calf/
Oh of course. I just hear a lot of people saying dress boots aren't formal.
I have no illusions of my monks being formal. Just the closest I have to a dress boot and I thought they look cool so I show them off when I can. Some proper dress boots are on my to do list.
Luckily for me the chunkiness of the boot works with my frame so as a whole it looks nice.
Is that a double monk chukka? It's not the sleekest looking thing I've seen, but it ain't bad.
No, chukka boots have open lacing - it has a chukka like profile maybe - but it is just a double monk boot.
It’s extremely sleek in person, my pair in brown is hard to pull off with jeans except slim dark denim because they look completely out of place. They make a pair in suede that work better with jeans but that’s only because suede lends itself to be more casual to begin with.
I got to break out my darkest jeans when I wear these. Lol
Have any pics of yours?
Definitely not a chucka. It's a six inch boot but with a monk instead of laces. Think like the regular 1000 mile from wolverine for size.
Huh. It looked like a chukka-ish silhouette to me.
When you say "formalwear," are you talking about professional attire or eveningwear? Technically, "formalwear" refers to the latter, where boots really don't belong, but if you're pairing boots with a suit, you have a ton of options to work with.
Both. I don't see why button boots couldn't work with a tux. I believe that was the original intent of them (or at least day time formal wear), though I could be mistaken on that fact.
I don't know -- this is news to me. I can't seem to find anything about this...
Except this article that says button boots were for daywear/morning dress, which really isn't the same as eveningwear: https://www.gentlemansgazette.com/button-boots-guide/.
But it is formal attire. Either way, like I said: I could be wrong.
I wear meermin Chelseas 3 days a week with chinos and buttonup, I think it depends on your office.
I'm a new convert to boot wearing and it's absolutely amazing. Boots are so versatile. You can wear a wide range of boots in many different settings.
There are also many companies that make quality boots at all price points. AE Meermin Alden Oak street boot makers Thursday White Grant stone Carmina Viberg Etc...
Would a Viberg Captoe Service boot look weird with a suit?
Yes, they would. There are plenty of boots that look great with suits, but Vibergs are not one of them. Service boots are a more casual leaning style.
I don't think so. If you got a dark brown/Cordovan color I think you could definitely wear with a suit.
I dunno about the rest of the world but in Australia, black and brown RM Williams chelsea boots are pretty much office uniform worn by everyone from the Prime minister down.
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I've had this question/qualm before. My thoughts are:
-Standard oxford, plain toe, long wing look better in a office setting.
-Also when I'm sitting in an office all day, I rather have a low cut shoe than have excess shoe/leather covering up to the ankle
-When the weather gets nasty, you (I) don't want to get nice leather boots messed up so LL Bean boots then change into dress shoes at work.
-Weekends: Are laid back and lax so I go for sneakers/ athletic-leisure, so no boots.
Again, this is just a personal opinion and my own inability to fit in dress boots/nice boots for my situation. I just admire them on the this subreddit
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These Maison Margiela Tuxedo Boots or something similar are clean and simple. These Margiela boots are rather difficult to find but a almond-toe boot, preferably without laces or wingtips or anything really, can be both casual and formal. They're a different suggestion than the J&M boots but these are very versatile and you can definitely get some really good fits out of them.
Boots can be appropriate when they are essentially dress shoes that go past your ankle.
If they're too chunky, or have a lug sole, or a huge midsole, they won't look professional.
Simple as that.
I agree and disagree! Looking for "dress boots" is actually very easy with the birth of DTC footwear brands such as: TAFT, Nisolo, Thursday, etc. You are able to find plenty of brands offering high quality options at what is believed to be a value since they're not in a retail environment. However, I agree this can be a daunting task in regards to finding product that truly stands out against these other brands. Most of the "dress boot" category is made up of the same styles: Chelsea's, Cap toes, Wing Tips, etc. All these brands do is add their spin with a unique color, material or business model (i.e. made in this country vs that country). At the end of the day all these boots are the same and nothing really pushes the boundaries of what a dress boot can be! The daunting task is where can I find a shoe that stands out, but can still be styled for any occasion from the boardroom, the office and to the bar?!
Boots predate oxfords as formal footwear. It’s difficult to imagine any office on the planet where these Carmina boots would be inappropriate. The problem is very few companies make real balmoral boots anymore. And I don’t think anybody cheaper than Kent Wang or Carmina level does.
Conservative offices that require a suit would probably not be okay with dress boots. They're just not part of modern business attire, regardless of their history.
Edit: I'm being downvoted, but I don't really see anyone saying anything productive. Like, has anyone here seen Wall Street bankers or lawyers wearing dress boots to work/court? They'd be 100% fine in any business casual office, but I think they'd be very questionable in workplaces with extremely standard business dress codes.
Yes, my SO is in IB and can confirm that seniors at here firm do wear balmoral boots to the office.
You can’t tell they’re boots under suit trousers. No judge could tell the above Carmina were boots and not oxfords unless you crossed your legs in front of them. And I’d very much disagree with you considering their use by people in very conservative environments on styleforum.
Unless your pants are extra long and baggy, it'll be immediately obvious if you're wearing boots the moment you sit down.
I will agree that there isn't anything technically wrong with wearing dress boots in nearly all conservative settings.
But part of idea of conservative/professional attire is that you're not trying to draw attention away from the job or the client.
If you had the choice between wearing dress boots or oxfords, and everyone else in the firm is wearing oxfords, but you decide to choose boots... You're not breaking rules, but you'll be getting attention for your boots rather than your performance on the job.
On your point regarding Styleforum... Sure, people on an internet fashion forum are going to be more knowledgeable about fashion than the average Joe. But if you're going to let the internet govern how to dress and ignore how the people dress in your specific, real life context, you're going to have issues.
I don't agree with the downvotes you're getting.
I will say that you won't break any dress codes in conservative/professional settings. It would be technically be ok, much like it would be technically ok to wear a bow tie to an event that calls for ties. Or that it's technically ok to wear a nicer watch than your boss.
However, in a professional setting where everyone else is wearing oxfords, bringing out your boots will grab attention. An important point of professional attire is that you're not trying to draw attention away from the job or the client.
I also don't agree that "dress Balmoral boots under pants look exactly like oxfords so it's the same." Unless you're standing and not moving the entire day, or unless you have abnormally long and baggy trousers, your boots will show at some point when you walk around or sit down.
I agree with you that there are things you can wear that are technically formal but very unprofessional/attention grabbing.
However, where I disagree are the subtleties. A bow tie is a pretty distinguishable thing to wear that will draw attention.
A dress boot - though slightly noticeable when sitting down, it a very subtle difference from a standard oxford that can still pass a professional.
Funny you’re getting downvotes. I work in finance in a formal ”business casual” environment. The dress boots OP linked above would probably not be accepted. It’s a shame but true.
Lawyer here, I wear dress boots to court sometimes. You really cannot tell they are boots until the trousers are hitched up and even then they look fine.
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Did you just pull that out of your ass or something?
I've never seen lawyers wearing dress boots to court, so no.
Ahh lawyers, the traditional arbiters of style