Top 10 must-have shoes a man should own

Hello,

I've been looking for gifts to give to my guy friends, two of them have their birthdays in September and my brother has his birthday in October. I was thinking about buying them some shoes but which one? While I was looking around, I realized that men do not have a huge selection of shoes (sadly!)! Basically, a man can own only 10 different pair of shoes and he will have the perfect shoe for any occasion he attends. In this post, I am presenting the top 10 pairs of shoes a man should own:

1. The Athletic sneaker: This is the must-have pair of shoes! If you want to workout efficiently you need shoes that are made for that. Now, it depends what kind of sport you are into: running, tennis, hiking. Always buy athletic sneakers that correspond to the type of sports you are practicing.

1. Nike Free Run +3 running shoes ($100) | 2. Nike Zoom Vapor 9 Tennis shoes ($130) | 3. Nike Free Haven 3.0 Training shoes ($100) | Adidas Power (weight) Lift Training ($90)

2. The classic sneaker: by this, I mean like a pair of converse because it is perfect for when you are well-dressed i.e. when you are not wearing your gym outfit. Trust me, Nothing is worse than a well-dressed man in those big and chunky athletic shoes! It just kills the whole outfit.

1. Italian leather Authentic Vans ($65) | 2. Chuck Taylor Dainty charcoal All Stars ($65) | 3. | 4. Pop Madero black/dark grey vans ($50.00)

2.5. The Cool Sneaker: I am including these kind of sneakers because I love them (I admit that)! However, I don't think they are a must-have because not all ages can wear them and not look like they are trying so hard not to show their real age. I mean that at some point of their lives, men should forget about these sneakers and stick to the classic sneaker. These sneakers go well with hip-hop outfits i.e. with jeans (not Baggy, please!)

  1. Black Roc A Million Sneakers by Rocawear ($64) | 2. Borelli Sneaker by Creative Recreation ($73.99) | 3. Dibello Sneakers by Reebok ($80) | 4. Grey Roc A Million Sneakers by Rocawear ($64)

3. The Boat Shoes (a.k.a Topsiders, a.k.a Deck Shoes): These are my favorite shoes and I think all the guys around me own one because they love them or I forced them too (ha!). When wearing these shoes, it helps to think about what you would wear if you were to go on a boat/yacht (we can dream a bit that we own one!). You would probably wear these shoes with shorts or khaki/tan pants (nice slacks) and a striped polo T-shirt or just a plain shirt with the sleeves rolled up. Then you would probably add a light sweater or a light jacket if it's not warm enough.

1. Canvas Zapato Del Barco brown Vans ($60) | 2. Lander Boat Shoes by Polo Ralph Lauren ($59) | 3. Men's Authentic Original Suede Boat Shoe by Sperry Top-sider ($90) | 4. Timberland Icon Classic 2 Eye boat shoes ($72.99)

4. The Loafer: This shoe is for casual affairs and relaxed meetings. It is worn with a sporty jacket, a pair of jeans, or a pair of suit pants with a T-shirt. They should be worn with socks and not with shorts.

   1. Call it Spring Demling from Zappos ($65) | 2. Original Penguin Ping Penny Linen from Zappos ($90.99)| 3. Pannell Penny by Johnston & Murphy (sale $99.90) | 4. Stacy Adams Nathaniel from Zappos ($80)

5. The Driving Moccasins: this is a more casual kind of loafers. Always go for the suede ones! Like the name suggests it, these shoes were made for driving so it's absolutely important for them to be comfy. Anyways, these moccasins are usually made of suede texture for comfort and ease. They are best worn without socks.  

  1. Driving shoes with Straps by DrJays.com ($34.99) | 2. Scamosciato Suede drivers by Prada ($480) | 3. Calvin Klein Deauville ($98)

6. The Boots: it could be desert boots, work-boots or dress-boots, it's your choice! It also depend on the occasion; but your shoe collection is not complete without at least one pair of boots!

1. Camel suede Runnell Chukka desert Boots by Johnston & Murphy ($135) |2. 6" Premium Waterproof Timberland boots (Sale $101.95) | 3. A. Testoni Pull On (dress) Boots from Zappos ($690) | 4. Cardell Buckle Strap Boots by Johnston & Murphy ($195)

7. The Wingtips shoes: These are more than the office shoes, they can actually be worn with jeans, khakis as long as the shoe has a thicker than usual outsole. I love the broguings (little holes on the shoe) and unfortunately or fortunately, it makes any shoe with broguings looks more formal especially if the shoe is not in suede!

  1. Tyndall Wingtip by Johnston & Murphy ($150) | 2. Wingtip Suede Midtop shoe by Generic Surplus ($39.99) | 3. Men's M-Harlow by Madden (Sale $54.99) | 4. Men's Dayton by Stacy Adams ($109.95)  

8. The Oxford shoes: To me I think most oxford shoe models look like either the wingtips shoes or the lace-up shoes but they say they are different so I am including them in the list.   

 1. Cole Haan Air Adams Cap Oxford from Zappos ($108) | 2. Cole Haan Air Adams Spit Oxford ($198)| 3. Bass Men's Brockton Oxford ($69.95)

9. The Patent leather shoes a.k.a. the Tuxedo: This is the perfect shoe for formal occasions such as weddings. These shoes go perfectly with your business attire and other suits. When they are in black patent leather, that is the ultimate elegant style you can achieve with these kind of shoes!

1. Bickel Patent Plain Toe by Johnston & Murphy ($ 175) | 2. Flow Ambassador from ShoeBuy.com (Sale $49.95) | 3. Mercanti Fiorentini Men's Patent Leather Loafers ($139.95)| 4. Calvin Klein Guilford ($130)

10. Last but not least, The Flip Flops or sandals: Please no socks with sandals, that is a horrible look! (ha!) Of course if you're going for a sporty look and the sandals are sporty sandals then wearing socks is preferable. These shoes are for those laid-back moments of your life and the "beach" times. Why wear sneakers and closed toe shoes when you are going to walk on the sand and dip your toes in the water? Sometimes, you gotta show those beautiful feet of yours!

 1. Men via Uffizi UGG ($130) | 2. Vineyard Vines Wale Flip Flops ($35.99) | 3. Air Lebron Slide Sandals by Nike ($44.99) | 4. Fisherman sandals ($28.99)

Well we come to the end, hope you enjoyed reading this post (because it took me a longtime to do it :) ).

Have a great day!

P.S. In two days, there's going to be New York Fashion Show and designers will present their Spring 2013 collection so if you can't attend it just join me with popcorns and a soda to watch it live on Youtube:

 www.youtube.com/liverunway