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Footwear to Solidify Your Wardrobe

These are the must-haves — from soft socks and long-lasting boots to trendy kicks and your daily wears.

new essentials footwear

By Evan Malachosky

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A version of this story first appeared in Gear Patrol Magazine. Subscribe today.

Although most men would argue they own too many shoes, footwear is the part of the wardrobe that’s imbalanced most often — in my opinion, at least. If you love sneakers, for example, you probably own quite a few pairs of sneakers; same story if you’re obsessed with boots. Rarely do men have a stable of solid options; affection for one type of footwear almost always leads to a shortage of others. Are you following?

Our list of new essentials covers all of the bases: boots, sneakers, sandals, socks and dress shoes. I’m clearly doing my best to justify buying one from each section, but surely adding just one (or two) to your rotation will greatly improve it — like when a sports team adds a few superstar players and suddenly wins a championship.

Inspired by vintage Argentinian riding boots, Viberg’s Chelseas are designed to last — and look damn good doing it.

Goodyear welt construction, Horween leather, Vibram toplift, a custom last and a leather sole? Check, check, check, check and check.

“An archetype of a category built to the highest standards, from the best possible materials,” Standard & Strange says of John Lofgren’s Moc Toe Boots. We absolutely agree. Trust the experts (aka us and S&S).

Made in the UK luxury from the New England brand.

Go gray or go home.

This is an obvious exception to the “go gray or go home” rule I just established.

Zany all-over animal print? Yes.

Lighten up a little. Get lifted loafers.

No, you don’t need to lace these, but they come visibly laced up — decoratively, clearly.

Go green. Get Birkenstock Arizonas (in green suede).

Shearling? Smart for winter. Shearling Birkenstocks? Not so smart for winter — unless you’re living in warm, coastal California.

These are a little bit more acceptable than Arizonas, but your heels freeze just the same.

Vintage is in. And it sort of always has been. Get the best of both new and old with Reebok’s retro Club C 85s.

These are the white sneakers I think of when someone says white sneakers. Make sense?

These are an elevated rendition of the famous AF1, because of a luxe new leather and suede accents.

Recycled wool + checkerboard print = pretty, pretty cool.

Get a soft Japanese sock with a subtle, all-over animal print.

1…2…3…”Smile!”

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