10 Dress Shoes Ranked (Formal To Casual)

Even storm troopers lololol im done he doesn’t miss anything

Thanks and very informative. I was looking at a pair of shoes that is not in any of these categories and not sure what they are called. They are like a derby but has a square piece over the top front.

I’m not sure I can support the oxymoron here. How can a dress shoe be casual it’s like a showing off while being reserved???

I think when we do things like this this is how future generations get confused dress shoes are formal and they shouldn’t be thought of as a casual shoe.

Brogue
Chelsea boots
Monkstrab
Loafer
Dress boots

Currently I only have a small collection, but I have the basics covered in a range of formalities.

First off I have a pair of black calf captoe oxfords, from Barker's. They're the most formal option I have and work well when I'm wearing black or white tie, as well as for funerals. Did a decent job of putting a mirror polish on the toes.
Second option, and my most expensive and recent, is a pair of mid-brown calf half-brogue oxfords, from Crockett & Jones, slightly less formal and can be dressed up or down.
Third option is a pair of reddish tan suede derbys from Clarks, a lot less formal, but also due to being suede, partial rubber sole, and a nice innersole, they're the most comfortable of my formal shoes.

My brother has a smaller selection and his most formal shoe is pair of black derbys, not quite as formal but when I shined them up they still do the job just fine, he has a great pair of handmade English clogs though which are really interesting, definitely not formal at all despite being black leather, there's still a couple of industries in the UK like metalworking where they're still useful footwear to protect you from hot metal swarf on the floor that would melt the rubber on normal shoes.

Queen Victoria apparently really liked Chelsea boots, before they were called Chelsea boots, they were practical and comfortable for her while still being formal enough for Victorian era fashion tastes. I think royal approval definitely gives them a boost in formality, and they really can range from fairly formal polished leather to more funky casual designs in rough leather or suede and bold colours.

I'm from Texas and was wondering where do Western style exotic skinned boots (ie alligator, ostrich, etc) fit in your category? I've seen them worn in suits and black tie occasions.

Great video! Very insightful 🙌

Excellent ❤

Would you wear any of these if you work in a wearhouse?

He sounds like Donald Trump

Loafers have always looked like old womens shoes, especially tassel loafers.

Very nice presentation for a newbie like me

The only thing I would say is rules around formality can be regional and time/event specific… for example, in England you would absolutely see someone wearing formal style lace up boots, usually with broguing, paired with a suit - but only a tweed or heavily textured suit and only during the daytime or at more casual events/activities e.g at the horse racing, but only at specific race courses.

So, there are 3 lines of progresion for the formality of a shoe...

Colour
Construction
Materials/details

1st: The darker and more muted the more formal, so black is always the most formal and then we go into dark muted like brown, oxblood and burgundy and then we go into the more vibrant colours like the blues, the pure reds, the greens, the yellow, gray. But tan is muted and absolutely not flashy, so that is a curve ball.

2nd: simple construction, closed lace system, the precense of laces and being a shoe and not a boot is more formal. The one thing keeping the wholecut behind is the lack of tradition and history, but it might be #2 if it is black and it is properly shined to a mirror gloss finish in the toe.

3rd: plain, simple and smooth materials are more formal and the addition of texture, details and visual complications/decorations in the shoe take away from the formality. So a smooth leather in a very closed porosity that allows for a mirror shine if wanted is more formal and then we go into a more coarse leather grain, nubuck, swade, textiles, etc. Same with details like brouges, captoes, wingtips, medalions, buckles, straps, etc. If they add to the shoe on top of the plain construction, then they take away from the formality of the shoe.

Got it right?

Well, I really think it all depends on a lot of things... a black oxford that has a medalion in the toe but it lacks captoe and is properly shined to a missor gloss finish in the toe can easily look better with a black suit (not black tie, but black suit) than a proper plain oxford that has not been taken care of.
As long as the rest of the rules of dressing codes and traditions stay in place, we can break 1 or 2 to pull of something more modern and visually atractive. And that will depend of the level of formality too, I wouldn't use red nubuck loafers for a white tie dress code, but I could see myself pulling out a nice pair of very deep oxblod oxfords properly shines in a formal black suit with a deep oxblood leather band for my watch.

“Calf leather”?

Thanks for this information. Where does the Chukka fits in?

What style of shoe does John WIck wear?

Awesome. How shoes goes on from most formal to most casual, types of shoes, which one goes with what.... Amazing. got o learn so much. you nailed it.

Thank you Sir , you are amazing

Please do more big bad boots reviews, if you are a hard working guy & live in the sticks then turning up to your local pub wearing any of these will have people thinking you bat for the wrong side.
Sorry but the the loafer for me is definitely not going to happen until I hit at least 40 something? same goes for the moccasins.

This video was perfect. I can use the info. I will check out AceMarks. Thanks again.

I can't stress how helpful your experienced advice is! I was just thinking about formality and different shoe types.
Thank you for your efforts, Antonio!

Interesting to learn more about shoes. Growing up in a blue-collar household, every shoe made of leather other than mocassins, boots and trainers was just called "classic shoe" and considered formal.
While I believe that in today's supercasual world dominated by trainers and running shoes also brogues and Chelsea boots would make the cut as somewhat formal, it was still nice to get more insights on the topic.

Very informative. Thank you.

Damn this channel helps me a lot. I started to fit something on my body with the help of Mr. Antonio. I feel like i wasted so much effort in the past. I use all my money and time on my study, and i didn't give my self something good.

What’s the most formal dress boots

I think a polished whole cut should share the number 2 spot. Also think the Chelsea boot should tie with the derby.

I just want to say how much i appreciate this. I didn’t grow up with any father figures and I’m honestly just trying to change a generational curse that’s been in my family for ever so I’m starting to change everything and I’ve been so stuck on what to wear, how to tie a tie, which hand to wear my watch on. It’s tough. I really appreciate this though.

the dress boot looks stupid. Who the hell wears that except from cowboys?

Which is the correct choice of shoes for a freshman skipper? We will be cruising from January to Easter, each year.

No no no! Men (and women) primarily wore boots (such as Balmorals) in the 19th century - a MUCH for formal century. Proper Balmoral boots in dark brown and black are among the formal league. I wear numerous Balmorals throughout the year with my classic-cut three piece suits and felt derby hats. And no whole cut Oxfords for black tie? You may be correct on that, but I personally believe whole cut black Oxfords are black tie (and even white tie) acceptable.

I get that rankings of formality are done in the context of tradition, but speaking from my own perspective, brogues have such an appealing look that I find it very difficult classifying them as casual, especially when the other parameters of formality are present, (e.g. Oxford, smooth leather, hard-soles). I see the whole leather formal shoe as plain to the point of being house slippers. I formed this opinion in childhood, before I was “tainted” by society’s conventions of what a formal, black-tie appropriate, shoe should be. Speaking from my childish perspective, anyone could take a whole piece of leather and mold it to the shape of a foot. Much harder it seemed, to take different pieces and sew them together to form the shoe. Following that line of immature reasoning, I could be expected to prefer the open lacing of the blucher or derby, but not so. I hated the blucher wingtips of my father’s shoes, especially so because of the Scotch-grain, or pebble grained leather. I loved the smooth calfskin and closed lacing of oxfords, possibly due to them reminding me of the stiff-collared, buttoned up Victorian/Edwardian eras into which I should have been born. And so, being the conservative (I would likely wear buttoned-down pajamas if I could find them!) that I am, however, I dutifully bow to the whims of society and don the formal patents when necessary, no matter the intensity of my disdain.

What would you suggest to wear with a suit in the winter? I don’t want to ruin my dress shoes with salt

Penny loafer or double monk both black for a wedding party? Gonna be pairing it with grey slacks and black dress shirt

Can I wear tassel loafers to a wedding as a groomsman?

learned a lot, thanks.

What sort of idiot am I that I have come to watch a video by a Usean that gives ME advise on shoes???

Killing baby cows for a pair of shoes? Wtf?

I am a woman but i swear by oxfrds and chelsea boots
i wear them in spring and fall both casual and formal they never failed me tho i dont have leather oxfords but they are of black fabric so they still look formal enough

The problem with formal shoes for a smaller guy like myself is that they look like clown shoes because they look too long for me

Thank you very much! Very helpful!
I am only 18 but take advice from you like from a life coach!

An open lacing system is a must for me with the short wide feet I have

I respect your knowledge, Antonio, but there are a couple of points in this video I would disagree with you about: I'm about 99% sure the Chelsea boot did have its origins as a riding boot. On your description of broguing, what you call a "quarter brogue" is properly a "punch cap," and a proper quarter brogue is what you call a "semi-brogue" without the toe medallion. Almost everything else you say is spot-on, though--a good job!

Awesome video as always! Thanks for sharing

I worked at big Hollywood black tie events, even the Emmy’s and Oscar’s. Whole cut black full grain leather than have been polished are always #1

Can the strand oxford be worn with dark wash jeans?

Sir, where would you rank Black Wholecut Oxfords with Pebble Grain texture? Is it still at the top 3 of formal dress shoes?

Men wear dress boots all the time in winter. It looks fine. Almost all of the style guys I fallow will wear dress boots with a suit.

Closed lacing system is called Oxfords and open lacing system is called Brogues, what and expert you are.