“Should I wear black or brown shoes with this suit?” is a question customers often ask at the showroom just as the suit reaches its baste fitting. The answer lies not in colour alone but in four things: the style of the shoe, the colour of the suit, the occasion and how formal the leather is. The five men's dress shoes below, worn with a suit, cover most situations you will meet, from the boardroom to a wedding reception.
The Short Answer
The five men's dress shoes to wear with a suit are the cap-toe Oxford, the wingtip brogue Oxford, the Derby, the monk strap and the loafer. A black cap-toe Oxford works for every formal occasion; the Derby and monk strap suit the everyday office; the brogue suits a patterned suit; the loafer suits a summer suit and relaxed occasions.
1. Cap-toe Oxford: the foundation of dress shoes
The Oxford has a closed lacing system (the two leather panels beside the laces are stitched in underneath the body of the shoe), so the shoe has a slim, flat profile. The cap-toe is a seam running across and enclosing the toe. The glossy black cap-toe Oxford works with a black, charcoal or deep navy suit at meetings, interviews, weddings and evening parties; the glossy tan-brown version, like the pair in the cover photo, suits daytime wear with a navy or grey suit.
How to pair: shoes the same shade as the trousers or darker, a belt in the colour of the shoes, socks in the colour of the trousers. A common mistake is polishing too thinly and then wearing high-shine leather in the harsh midday sun; mirror-shine leather needs its dust wiped off before you leave the house. The article on how to lace dress shoes shows four lacing styles for Oxfords.
2. Wingtip brogue Oxford: decorative perforations, a warmer look
Brogueing is decorative perforation along the toe and the edges of the leather; a wingtip is a toe cap with a W-shaped seam wrapping around both sides like the wings of a bird. The Tan-Brown Oxford Wingtip Brogue with Black Sole (PK-170) shows that look: classic, yet a little more relaxed than the plain cap-toe.
Brogues go well with suits in patterned or textured cloth such as checks and raised weaves, and with navy, grey and brown suits at creative workplaces or daytime parties. Note that the more perforations a shoe has, the less formal it is, so do not wear brogues with a tuxedo or a formal-occasion suit.
3. Derby: open lacing, easy to wear and kind to the foot
The Derby has open lacing: the two leather panels are stitched on top of the body of the shoe, so they spread open as you tie the laces. The Tan-Brown Derby with Apron Toe and Mottled Patina (PK-171) has a raised-stitch apron toe and a mottled, shifting brown finish — handcrafted, with a slightly countryside feel.
The Derby suits men with a high instep or wide feet, since open lacing makes it easy to adjust the fit. It is the shoe for a business trip, for a day on your feet, with a grey, beige or navy suit. Note that a Derby looks more relaxed than an Oxford, so do not wear it with a formal-occasion suit; and the mottled patina finish works best with a suit that is not jet black.
4. Monk strap: a cross buckle in place of laces
A monk strap has no laces; instead one or two buckled straps run across the instep. The style adds a small accent and is very convenient if you dislike tying laces. It suits a modern office suit, especially navy, grey or brown, with neat straight-leg trousers.
Note: a double-buckle monk strap is more eye-catching than a single, so with a formal suit choose a single-buckle pair in dark brown or black. Overly wide trouser legs will hide the buckle and defeat the purpose of this style of shoe.
5. Loafer: the slip-on for summer suits
The loafer is a slip-on shoe: no laces, no buckle, soft leather. It goes very well with suits in lightweight cloth such as linen or cotton, outdoor weddings and weekend dinners. People in Saigon wear suits all year round, so the loafer is a practical choice for the hot days.
Note: wear loafers with thin or no-show socks and trousers hemmed slightly short to show the ankle. Loafers are best avoided at a formal meeting or with a tuxedo. Choose brown, navy or burgundy to go with a light-coloured suit.
Quick Summary Table
| Style | Suits | Remember |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Cap-toe Oxford | Formal office, weddings, evening parties | Black for formal occasions, tan brown for daytime |
| 2. Wingtip brogue Oxford | Patterned or textured suits | Not with a tuxedo or formal-occasion suit |
| 3. Derby | Business trips, lots of walking | Open lacing, comfortable, less formal than an Oxford |
| 4. Monk strap | Modern office suit | Neat trouser legs so the buckle shows |
| 5. Loafer | Light suits, hot season, weekends | Thin or no-show socks; not for formal meetings |
Tips from Mon Amie's Master Tailors
- Bring the right shoes to the baste fitting. The trouser hem should touch the top of the shoe and break in one slight fold; that length can only be set with the real pair.
- Shoes as dark as, or darker than, the trousers. Shoes lighter than the trousers tend to make the legs look light and detached from the outfit.
- Match the three leather items. Shoes, belt and leather watch strap in the same colour or the same tone; they need not match shade for shade.
- Keep the shape of your shoes with shoe trees. Saigon is humid; leather shoes stored without shoe trees will crease at the toe after a few months.
- Try shoes on at the end of the day. Feet swell slightly in the afternoon, so a pair that fits then will not pinch when you stand through a whole reception.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do you pair dress shoes with a suit?
In three steps: choose the shoe colour by the suit colour and the occasion (black for formal occasions, brown for daytime), choose the style by degree of formality (Oxford for formal, Derby and monk strap for the office, loafer for relaxed), then match the belt to the shoes. The article on which shoes go with a charcoal suit goes deeper on the grey range.
Which suit style goes with which shoe style?
A single-breasted office suit goes with an Oxford, Derby or monk strap. A double-breasted suit goes with a cap-toe Oxford. A tuxedo goes with a glossy black Oxford. A Korean- or Japanese-style suit, with a trim silhouette and slender lines, goes with an Oxford, a slim-toe Derby or a monk strap; avoid big, round-toed shoes.
Which shoe colour goes with which suit colour?
Navy goes with black, tan brown or dark brown. Grey goes with black or brown. Black goes with black shoes. Beige or cream goes with tan brown or light brown.
Should you buy shoes for just one occasion?
You can rent dress shoes along with the suit; prices are quoted per style on enquiry. Suit rental is also available on the suit rental page, with sizes tried on in person at the showroom.
Final Thoughts
The right shoes won't make a suit look any better, but the wrong pair will ruin the whole outfit. Choose the style by the occasion, choose the colour by the suit, then bring them to your baste fitting so the tailor can set the trouser hem. When you need a new suit made, book an appointment at a Mon Amie showroom to get advice on both the suit and the shoes to go with it.