All About Dress Shoes - A Guide To Finding The Perfect Pair

Shoes tie your whole look together, and subtly show others what your style's all about.

Before we begin on telling you exactly how to find the perfect pair, it's important to know a little bit more about dress shoes, and the importance of finding a well-constructed pair of shoes - one that isn't mass produced or cheaply made.

Mass Produced vs Handcrafted Shoes

Always wondered how some mass market brands can afford to sell their dress shoes at such a low cost? Here's what they're not telling you:

Different methods of shoe construction:

(source)

In summary, you'd want a shoe that isn't constructed with glue so you won't face this:

Let's Talk Feet

Feet take us everywhere, and we only have one pair for the rest of our lives. Taking care of them is more important than people realise. And so, let us identify a few problems that people usually face with regards to the health of their feet.

Common Problem 1: Bunion

A bump on the inside of the foot, at the big-toe joint. Solution: Choose shoes with wider width. Common Problem 2: High Arch Cavus foot is a condition in which the foot has a very high arch. Because of this high arch, an excessive amount of weight is placed on the ball and heel of the foot when walking or standing. Solution: Get dress shoes with arch support.

Common Problem 3: Flat Foot

Flat feet (also called pes planus or fallen arches) is a postural deformity in which the arches of the foot collapse, with the entire sole of the foot coming into near-complete contact with the ground. Flat feet and low arches tend to cause overpronation, which may lead to other complications. Solution: Supportive mid-soles to reduce pronation and reduce stress on the plantar. Spot the Difference: Toe Shapes

Now that you're familiar with common feet problems, learn to identify the toe shapes that will suit your style and offer you the highest level of comfort.

Ranking from the pointiest:
1. Pointy/Chisel Toe: Ideal for narrower/slimmer feet shape.

2. Round Pointy/All Purpose: Ideal for standard feet shape.

3. Round: Ideal for wider/thicker feet, especially for wearer with bunion.

Apart from toe shapes, different types of dress shoes are also best suited for different people with different tastes:

Once you've identified which dress shoe you should go for, you can elevate the design of your shoes with some decorative styles:

There are various methods being used to dye leather, with the oldest and most intricate process being vegetable tanning. This process uses organic materials (e.g. tree barks, fruits, leaves) to impart colour to the leather, which takes about 2 months, and requires artisans to execute.

Vegetable tanning is also organic and free from a hazardous carcinogen (chromium - which is commonly used in a process called chrome-tanning that dyes leather within a few days). The final result of a veg-tan leather is a rich and earthy colour, and develops a natural patina with use.

Now let's dive into some of the most common types of leather you'll see:

If you're a menswear enthusiast like us, you may be familiar with the longstanding "leather vs rubber soles" debate - Which is more durable? Which is more elegant? Which provides more comfort? The answers to your burning questions are right here:

If you've made it to the end of this article, congratulations! You now know more about dress shoes than 80% of the population (we made that statistic up). If you're interested to learn more, or try on our shoes, head on down to our brand new store at Capitol Piazza #01-12 to check them out! We'll be more than happy to show you around.

CYC x Shoe Artistry Prices
Made to Measure: $450 Bespoke: from $888