# What shoes would you not wear with Khakis?



## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

Are there any? I'm curious. I have a lot of great shoes that I once wore with suits. Now that dress codes have relaxed, I mostly wear chinos or khaki in traditional shades of khaki, British tan, stone, olive or taupe and very rarely...navy. I usually wear penny loafers or something casual like chukkas. But after seeing Uncle Mac wearing his many different styles of cordovans with khakis...I'm rethinking. Yesterday, I even wore a pair of burgandy Park Avenues with my cuffed khakis and navy blazer. I thought they looked fine. What is the consensus out there? Btw...anyone wear black shoes with khakis?


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## Trip English (Dec 22, 2008)

Black shoes. Exactly. Assuming we're confining the inquiry to dress/dress casual, I'd say that nearly any style in any shade of brown or ox blood would be fine, but NEVER black. Every time I see black shoes worn with khakis or anything remotely khaki colored it jumps out like few sartorial infractions do.


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

Depending on how much you want to dress up those chinos, it seems anything short of patent leather could work, given the right circumstances. In answer to your question regarding the wear of black shoes with khakis, I have worn black shoes/RM Williams boots with navy chinos.


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## Naval Gent (May 12, 2007)

To me khakis demand a casual shoe. I don't like any shoe more formal than maybe a plain toe blucher with them. Cap toes and the like, no way. I only wear black shoes with khakis when I'm on Uncle Sam's payroll. It's out of my hands at that point.

Scott


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## Cowtown (Aug 10, 2006)

I have some black loafers I wear with khakis. I understand the objections and that I am probably in the minority on the issue. I also agree with Naval Gent on the formality issue. Captoes just do not look good with khakis. I worked with someone who was found of the combo and it just does not look good.


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## Dragoon (Apr 1, 2010)

I agree with no black shoes, don't agree with the no cap toe.
For instance; I think the AE Benton would look great with khakis.


Generally shoes that those on the fashion forum would consider "sleek" would not be a good match with khakis. : )


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## Epaminondas (Oct 19, 2009)

Black shoes.


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## maximar (Jan 11, 2010)

Saltydog said:


> Are there any? I'm curious. I have a lot of great shoes that I once wore with suits. Now that dress codes have relaxed, I mostly wear chinos or khaki in traditional shades of khaki, British tan, stone, olive or taupe and very rarely...navy. I usually wear penny loafers or something casual like chukkas. But after seeing Uncle Mac wearing his many different styles of cordovans with khakis...I'm rethinking. Yesterday, I even wore a pair of burgandy Park Avenues with my cuffed khakis and navy blazer. I thought they looked fine. What is the consensus out there? Btw...anyone wear black shoes with khakis?


Show us a picture of the ensemble and lets see if you did get away with it. You may have pulled it off for all we know.


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## A world beyond fleece (Feb 20, 2008)

*even patent leather...*



eagle2250 said:


> ...it seems anything short of patent leather could work, given the right circumstances. .....


And if done by a guy with some daring and panache and in the right circumstance -- think Tom Ford -- even patent leather might be fine.


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## Bernie Zack (Feb 10, 2010)

I've been trying to picture how my brown/white spectators would look with tan khakis, and for the life of me I can't picture an ensemble where they might look nice. Maybe with a tan/white seersucker sport coat? I don't know, I'll say spectators wouldn't look good (and I agree with the post about black)


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## phyrpowr (Aug 30, 2009)

I don't care for black blucher caps, PTBs or NSTs at all, but I wouldn't automatically eliminate anything else. Bal captoes in black are sort of pushing it, but I've worn merlots and and walnuts and liked the look: the color takes the dress edge off the style.

Depends a lot on the rest of the outfit.

I lack the courage for spectators


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## tinytim (Jun 13, 2008)

Trip English said:


> Black shoes. Exactly. Assuming we're confining the inquiry to dress/dress casual, I'd say that nearly any style in any shade of brown or ox blood would be fine, but NEVER black. Every time I see black shoes worn with khakis or anything remotely khaki colored it jumps out like few sartorial infractions do.


Funny how Khakis were of military origin and all they wore were black shoes. I'll admit brown looks better but I wouldn't say never black.


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## govteach51 (Aug 3, 2010)

As above, I never wear the black shoes......


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## Mike147 (Jan 15, 2006)

I wear Black Shoes with British Tan or slight variations thereof. I try to stay away from Black with Khaki unless it's raining and I need a rubber soled shoe. Just don't have anything in Brown or Burgundy at the moment. Knowing the rule, I will sometimes wear a different color pants (instead of khaki) when it's raining to keep with the rule.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

Naval Gent said:


> To me khakis demand a casual shoe. I don't like any shoe more formal than maybe a plain toe blucher with them. Cap toes and the like, no way.


You are correct, sir.


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## fishertw (Jan 27, 2006)

tinytim said:


> Funny how Khakis were of military origin and all they wore were black shoes. I'll admit brown looks better but I wouldn't say never black.


Well before military shoes were issued as black only-- there were the "Brown Shoe Days". When I joined the Air Force during the mid 70's there were still some old pre Air Force "Army Air Forcre" guys who had been in since post War II or Korea and they recalled fondly the days when the standard issue was brown shoes.
Tom


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## AldenPyle (Oct 8, 2006)

fishertw said:


> Well before military shoes were issued as black only-- there were the "Brown Shoe Days". When I joined the Air Force during the mid 70's there were still some old pre Air Force "Army Air Forcre" guys who had been in since post War II or Korea and they recalled fondly the days when the standard issue was brown shoes.
> Tom


Here's a picture from Life Magazine Archive 1941: Caption "Us Army Uniforms
US Army officer's regulation shoes and socks."


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## maximar (Jan 11, 2010)

Those are some sharp shoes. I wonder if the military copied these styles or the general public copied the military?


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## Wisco (Dec 3, 2009)

New Balance running shoes should never be worn with Khakis... ugh, some of the R&D Scientists where I work do and and it DRIVES ME INSANE.


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## Flanderian (Apr 30, 2008)

Naval Gent said:


> To me khakis demand a casual shoe. I don't like any shoe more formal than maybe a plain toe blucher with them.


+1. The habit of wearing "dress" shoes with khakis and other casual clothing just looks wrong. It may have started as a Left Coast fashion, but we all know what we think of fashion. Once past the age of 18 when I could afford to own more than two pair of shoes, I learned to differentiate more formal and casual styles.


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## crohnsappleadams (Nov 30, 2009)

Wisco said:


> New Balance running shoes should never be worn with Khakis... ugh, some of the R&D Scientists where I work do and and it DRIVES ME INSANE.


Running shoes should never be worn except while running.


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## smujd (Mar 18, 2008)

Black shoes. Or Vibram Five Fingers...


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## Larsd4 (Oct 14, 2005)

No Black
No Balmorals
Anything else is fair game. Even wingtip bluchers work with a blazer and tie.


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## WouldaShoulda (Aug 5, 2009)

I'll wear a Black penny loafer w/Khakis but not a captoe.

No, not that!!


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

I think it all depends on how you define "khakis".

I wear mine without a crease, very casually, so I usually stick to casual loafers, boat shoes, blutcher mocs and the like.

But I think if you had a pair in a nice heavy twill, with a sharp crease and big cuffs you could easily get away with spectators, gunboats, PTBs, indy boots ect etc.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

How about bit loafers? Any opinions?


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## D&S (Mar 29, 2009)

Saltydog said:


> How about bit loafers? Any opinions?


I used to wear black bit loafers with khaki shorts (but not pants) but now that I have a pair of brown bits I wear them with both khaki shorts and pants and save the black pair for gray flannels and suits.


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## TMMKC (Aug 2, 2007)

No black shoes. No athletic shoes.


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## Cruiser (Jul 21, 2006)

TMMKC said:


> No black shoes.


Just a hunch, but I'm assuming that it would be pointless to ask what color shoes I should wear with my black khakis. :icon_smile_big:









Cruiser


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## Douglas Brisbane Gray (Jun 7, 2010)

I used have a navy blue pair of khakis which I wore with black shoes,even dark brown looked weird to me.


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## Larsd4 (Oct 14, 2005)

When I read khakis, I was assuming khaki colored chinos. Black or navy blue chinos would cancel the no black shoes rule. I don't own either. 

I've got a pair of cadet (steel blue) chinos that I can't figure out what shoes to wear with. I've worn black and cordovan, but neither look good. They mostly sit on a shelf and get worn once or so a year when I tire of my khaki colored ones.


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## Topsider (Jul 9, 2005)

maximar said:


> Those are some sharp shoes. I wonder if the military copied these styles or the general public copied the military?


The military typically used/copied/speced civilian shoes "back in the day" (before leather-and-nylon combat boots).


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## dukekook (Sep 5, 2008)

Larsd4 said:


> No Black
> No Balmorals
> Anything else is fair game. Even wingtip bluchers work with a blazer and tie.


I agree with this, but I think a brown/cognac captoe blucher can work for the right person in the right place with the right khakis. I am thinking in particular of well-starched and creased Bill's M1.


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## swb120 (Aug 9, 2005)

I agree - no black shoes, no running shoes, no flip-flops.


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## Thom Browne's Schooldays (Jul 29, 2007)

Larsd4 said:


> I've got a pair of cadet (steel blue) chinos that I can't figure out what shoes to wear with. I've worn black and cordovan, but neither look good. They mostly sit on a shelf and get worn once or so a year when I tire of my khaki colored ones.


Light tan shoes?


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## bd79cc (Dec 20, 2006)

I think black bit loafers of the low-gloss persuasion (_e.g.,_ Gucci, AE) can work well with khaki pants. I'd avoid light-colored socks. This look was common and considered stylish in the tri-state area (NY-NJ-CT) in the late 1970s and early 80s.


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## camorristi (May 9, 2010)

I wear black blucher boots with khakis. So, why is it a deadly sin? Educate me, I've gotten many complements on that look.


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## Bernie Zack (Feb 10, 2010)

camorristi said:


> I wear black blucher boots with khakis. So, why is it a deadly sin? Educate me, I've gotten many complements on that look.


I could be wrong, but I wouldn't characterize the comments about black shoes with khakis as a "deadly sin." I would agree with Trip English that it is merely a "sartorial infraction." Sounds to me like it is just personal preference?


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

AE Park Avenues


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

HistoryDoc said:


> AE Park Avenues


The one and only time I wore AE Park Avenues with my khakis (as I mentioned in my original post) it was a pair of Merlots. Still a non go in your opinion? I'm still trying to decide. Some seem to pull off captoed high tops with khakis in brown or cordovan.


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

Saltydog said:


> The one and only time I wore AE Park Avenues with my khakis (as I mentioned in my original post) it was a pair of Merlots. Still a non go in your opinion? I'm still trying to decide. Some seem to pull off captoed high tops with khakis in brown or cordovan.


I remember some advice Patrick gave some years back. He said to try something, then see how it feels when you wear it for a day. If it feels funny, don't wear it again. There are some variables that can account for things looking better or worse on people. Maybe a cap toe looks fine with khakis if you have small feet, or the finish of your chinos is finer-- who knows? I just know that I tried it and it felt funny.


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## Douglas Brisbane Gray (Jun 7, 2010)

Larsd4 said:


> When I read khakis, I was assuming khaki colored chinos. Black or navy blue chinos would cancel the no black shoes rule. I don't own either.
> 
> I've got a pair of cadet (steel blue) chinos that I can't figure out what shoes to wear with. I've worn black and cordovan, but neither look good. They mostly sit on a shelf and get worn once or so a year when I tire of my khaki colored ones.


I had a pair of chinos in Air Force blue in the early 80s, I wore them with dark blue hush puppy penny loafers. It probably was not a good look though.


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## the rev (Aug 20, 2010)

I'm a newbie here, still trying to figure things out. Would it work to dress up creased khakis (worn with dress shirt and sometimes sport coat) with the following shoes:
AE MacNeil in burgundy grain calf
AE Grayson in Merlot burnished calf (currently on sale at the outlet)

thanks


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## HistoryDoc (Dec 14, 2006)

HistoryDoc said:


> I remember some advice Patrick gave some years back. He said to try something, then see how it feels when you wear it for a day. If it feels funny, don't wear it again. There are some variables that can account for things looking better or worse on people. Maybe a cap toe looks fine with khakis if you have small feet, or the finish of your chinos is finer-- who knows? I just know that I tried it and it felt funny.


I have some blue chinos. I wear tan bucks, Bean camp mocs, clark desert khans, or ae bradleys in chili with them.


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## srivats (Jul 29, 2008)

Trip English said:


> Black shoes. Exactly. Assuming we're confining the inquiry to dress/dress casual, I'd say that nearly any style in any shade of brown or ox blood would be fine, but NEVER black. Every time I see black shoes worn with khakis or anything remotely khaki colored it jumps out like few sartorial infractions do.


There is black and there is Black.

I actually like black shoes with khakis. My vintage nettleton shell PTBs look great with well-fitting, tapered khakis in wheat or british tan shade. Ofcourse, I also wear brown shoes, but I think well-shined black looks great with proper trousers.


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## Saltydog (Nov 3, 2007)

the rev said:


> I'm a newbie here, still trying to figure things out. Would it work to dress up creased khakis (worn with dress shirt and sometimes sport coat) with the following shoes:
> AE MacNeil in burgundy grain calf
> AE Grayson in Merlot burnished calf (currently on sale at the outlet)
> 
> thanks


I don't think there is any question about the Graysons. I _believe_ the MacNeil is a LWB and, if so--with apologies to all who love them--is just not a style I care for. But either would go with Khakis in my opinion depending on your taste and style.


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## Patrick06790 (Apr 10, 2005)

With a well-pressed pair of chinos I'd wear almost anything short of a balmoral shoe. 

But my chinos are rarely pressed at all, let alone well, so I tend to stick with loafers and my clunkier shoes. 

I have no prejudice against black shoes in this context. Don't do it often, but I see no reason not to.


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## Peachey Carnehan (Apr 18, 2009)

How about an all khaki outfit. Khaki safari shirt, khaki chinos, khaki desert boots. Ha, you'd look like a reject from the JPeterman catalogue.

Now yellow crocs, that would be lovely.


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