I was wondering what shades of suit would go well with the recently posted brown/tan/orange Hawking McGill wingtip boot? I was thinking in less formal situations, when I wanted to dress up a bit, but formal attire wasn't expected.
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Medium gray
Posted 3 months ago # -
Chareth
MemberIn all honesty -- and hopefully I'm don't come across as offensive because I don't mean to be -- I don't know if these boots would look good with any proper suits.
I personally think the black sole edges, first of all look a bit odd, and secondly make it look much more casual than the shoe shape would typically imply.
Posted 3 months ago # -
I agree with greg. I wouldn't generally wear rubber soled shoes with a suit, but at least they're not thick and chunky. The grommets on the boots add a casual feel, but it's not overwhelming.
Other posters have mentioned navy or medium grey, and I agree. Perhaps with a pinpint button-down collared shirt to round out the dressy-but-not-too-dressy look.
You can also experiment with other suit materials other than wool to change up the formality of the whole outfit. I don't see linen working with boots, but maybe cotton twill?
Posted 3 months ago # -
Chareth
MemberHere's my thought process behind my opinion:
That pair of boots is definitely visually striking, with the tan/orange upper and black soles. Within the context of casual clothing, it has much more opportunity to blend in and complement your outfit because you'll generally have more colors/patterns/fabrics going on.
With a suit, you have much less of that as your jacket and pants will be the exact same, and it will only serve to highlight the the very black soles. I think there might be a good chance the shoes will end up looking awkward because they very obviously look more casual in contrast to a formal suit. In much the same way, despite the fact that Wolverine calls their 1000 Mile a "dress boot", there's a very good chance it will awkward with a suit simply because it looks too casual.
This is all just my opinion, though, and I'm sure there might be examples of people who could pull this look off especially given the right physique, suit fit and a strong sense of style.
Posted 3 months ago # -
Avery
MemberThanks for all the feedback! I get what you're saying Chareth- but Greg hit the nail on the head: I was thinking of a wearing a suit as casual as it can be.
Honestly, I like these boots the most because of the color- the orange-ish brown looks great to me. Are there other boots of the same hue that might be better "suited"? (har har bad joke)
Posted 3 months ago # -
greg_s
ModeratorAvery, I personally like what you are going for. I only ever have to dress up because I want to so it's easier for me to dress down a suit. I like that look, not everyone will.
Can you clarify your most recent question? Are you looking for orange-brown (thus, somewhat walnut) shoes of another style in the Hawking price range?
If you like the boots, keep 'em.
Posted 3 months ago # -
LOL I've created a monster... something tells me Alan isn't done buying shoes on eBay
Posted 3 months ago # -
Tominator
MemberAvery, if you are interested in the AE Dalton boots (really an awesome shoe), AE is having a boot sale right now on Factory Seconds (only through the 5th though). You can call one of the Allen Edmonds Factory stores and ask if they have the Walnut Daltons in your size, and if they show up at any of their locations they can order them for you over the phone and ship them to you for free. Should be $150 during the current sale. Not too shabby for a $375 boot with some "flaw" that is usually not noticeable to the untrained eye.
I would suggest asking them to add a tube of “Premium Polish” in matching color (which has a mix of shoe cream and polish), and you may even want some of the "Conditioner Cleaner" or "Leather Lotion" for less frequent maintenance. They can add to your order and ship in the same box. The extra $10 or so is probably worth it to take care of the shoes.
Here is Joe's in-person review on the Dalton:
http://dappered.com/2011/12/win-it-the-ultimate-wingtip-boot-allen-edmonds-dalton/Posted 3 months ago #
