Shoes are often the premise of women, after all, it is a stereotype that we all have and have been glamorously been amplified by Imelda Marcos and her obscene collection of footwear. Men, however, aren't really seen as major shoe consumers, truth to be told, men are such practical creatures that unlike women, men buy shoes only when it's damaged or a size too small and causing pain. Call it practicality, loyalty or the comfort of knowing that there is a constant in today's ever changing world that when you set out for work or step out of your home today, you know that your trusty pair of footwear is where you want it to be and there's no need to fret over the color, just the function. And this ease of decision making really means that men's primary focus on footwear is for it's function, thus I have come up with a list of footwear that is every man's essential plus a few more for consideration depending on your personal lifestyle. Ladies, this is a good guide towards understanding what type of shoe your man lacks and guys, if you are thinking of adding another set of footwear into your shoe cabinet, be sure to verify the function and needs of it first here!
The Basic Types
1) Sneakers
The humble sneaker can be used for various purposes, if you are on a tight budget, it can be the pair of footwear that you wear for sports, weekend shopping with jeans and on a simple stroll in the park with your favorite pair of ankle socks and Bermudas. The common brands of sneakers are those from Nike, Adidas, Puma, Le Coq Sportif and etc.
2) Black Business Shoes
These are usually black leather shoes for business and formal functions, they are an essential for coupling with your business pants during formal functions and during your work day. Black is the safest and default color of choice. If you are on a budget, a faux leather shoe might be suitable, depending on your usage pattern and frequency, a faux leather shoe will be good if you are a student and spend up to 80% of your time in sneakers and jeans, with the occasional wedding, seminar or presentation in school requiring you to wear formal attire and couple it with black business shoes. If you foresee frequent usage of these particular type of shoe for work, it is recommended that you invest in a decent pair from Clarks, Hush Puppies or any of the in-house brands found in retail stores.
3) Slippers / Flip Flops / Sandals
This is a very general category, loosely defined, it would be footwear that you can wear to the beach or for a short walk around your neighborhood for groceries or a bite from the nearby eatery. This is probably more appropriate for tropical or warm countries like the one I come from as the idea of chilling one's feet in a temperate country during winter might not sound too appealing to some readers. Again, depending on your preference, you might go for slippers or sandals for you to wear to the swimming pool, beach or for your quick neighborhood walk-around. For those who like more security when they walk and like to replicate their walking movement as if they were wearing shoes, sandals are recommended. For those looking to emphasize the laziness and casualness of this category, go for the slippers and drag your way around.
Additional Types for your lifestyle consideration:
1) Sport Specific Footwear
These are mainly shoes that are specifically required for your personal sporting activity that you may be required to purchase in order to perform the sport without risk of injury and in comfort. Examples of such footwear includes; Running Shoes, Hiking Boots, Soccer Boots (Field), Soccer Boots (Street), Basketball shoes, Golf Shoes, Court Shoes and etc. If you are on a budget, it would be advisable to select a pair of specific sport footwear and double it up as your sneaker.
2) Safety Footwear
If you are involved in heavy industries or simply have a thing for boots and steel toe boots like those by Caterpillar and Dewalt, then consider getting a pair of safety footwear, they are like the Hummers of footwear and once you have a pair on, there is no terrain you can't go and there is no fear of being in a crowded place because you won't feel a thing if someone steps on your toes, but their toes are at the mercy of being crushed by your boots if they ever accidentally got caught between the heel of it and the ground.
So there you go, 3 Basic shoes types you should have plus 2 additional types for your lifestyle and preference consideration. Once you have decided on the functionality, be sure to consider the aesthetics like color, cut and shape of it. Basic color coordination still applies, so if you really have to, consult a female friend or your wife on that!