Whoever coined the phrase, "Shoes make the man," could not have been more right. The situation is pretty much as bad as socks: a cheap or inappropriate pair of shoes can completely ruin an outfit--no Saville Row suit will save you from tennis shoes just as there's no mercy given for gym socks. But, like socks, shoes can add a lot to your wardrobe so don't be shy about trying new things! Dressy lace-ups can sharpen an outfit and casual penny loafers can make it down right collegiate. I've collected some info here about buying shoes, various styles, and proper care.

BUYING

Like most things, I'm an advocate of owning one set of good things versus three sets of cheap things but it's especially the case with shoes. Ok, so now the shocker: a good pair of shoes will cost you $200 to $400. Before you begin ignoring me, read this:

• A good pair of shoes will last about ten years (with resoling, see the Care section below) whereas a cheap shoe will last considerably less.
• If you buy your shoes properly, you can certainly wear them ten years from now and not look old fashion (see the Styles section).
• People notice the shoes so don't skimp on them.

Ok, so what constitutes a good pair of shoes? First, some places to go to:

• Peal and Co. shoes from Brooks Brothers. For a few years Brooks Brothers sold some shoes made by a company other than Peal and Co. These weren't that great but they're back with Peal and Co. now.
• Cole Haan has traditionally made pretty good shoes. Recently though, I think they've cut their selection of dress shoes in favor of some more casual styles.
• Johnston and Murphy.

If you're on a budget, I've found that the penny loafers (see the Styles section below) from Rockport (for about $100) are a good deal--very comfortable and the leather lasts long enough to have them resoled a few times.

Some mediocre brands are Bostonian and Florsheim. You can get their shoes almost anywhere and they're pretty cheap. The quality isn't horrible but, in my experience, considerably less than the brands above.

Here's what to look for in a good shoe:

• Supple leather. This is sort of a no-brainer. The nicer the shoes the nicer the leather. Nice leather will last longer and look better.
• Leather bottoms. These are usually a sign of a quality shoe and leather is a good shock absorber.
• Comfort. It seems like everyone giving advice about shoes always says, "Don't buy a shoe if it's uncomfortable at the store." This is not my experience--in fact, I've bought uncomfortable shoes which were comfortable in the store and comfortable shoes which were uncomfortable in the store.

STYLES

What follows is an incomplete list of the major styles available today in men's shoes. Conspicuously absent are buckle shoes and wingtips (Brooks Brothers doesn't offer any right now so I couldn't steal any of their photos).

The styles here are roughly ordered from most formal to least. Make sure you read the section carefully because some are to be worn only with certain attire or during certain seasons.

		PATENT LEATHER To be worn with formal attire only. The ever-present shine from patent leather makes it great for all-black formal occasions. Note that you don't shine these shoes. Also worth mentioning (but perhaps not picturing) are so-called opera pumps--these are patent leather loafers, for that formal/casual look. Be aware: if you wear opera pumps you're really making a statement...
		CAPTOES Moving down the formalism ladder, we find captoes--a staple of business attire. You should really own a pair of these if you own a suit. It's called a captoe because of the single band of decorated leather laid over the vamp (that's the front) of the shoe, as you can see from the picture. Slightly less formal are wingtips, which have this band of leather formed into a wing-like design and decorative holes punched into the toes.
		LOAFERS And now, we come to loafers--the favorite of college students and Michael Jackson fans everywhere! Actually, loafers are extremely versatile and you should certainly own a few pairs. They come in two principle types: penny (top) and tassel. Pennys are called so due to the slit in the vamp where you can neatly store a single penny. The etymology of the tassel loafer should be obvious. Many people advise not wearing the penny loafer with suits. This is generally good advice but in today's casual world, no one is likely to notice.
		SUEDE BUCKS Finally, the rarely seen Summertime footwear called buckskins, or just bucks. The white ones, also called Nubuck, are for summer only and since they are white, you really need to be careful what you wear with them (light-colored cotton pants and seersucker are really your only options). Brown bucks can be worn as long as the weather is warm: Spring, Summer, or Fall (but not Winter).
Brooks Brothers

You should probably avoid square-toed shoes. They go in and out of style but here's the bottom line: your feet are pointed and your pants will be creased, coming to a point on top of your shoes. Therefore, to keep a sense of proportion, wear pointed shoes. Square shoes will make you look lanky and draw attention to your feet.

CARE

Shoe care is mainly concerned with polishing; but, I'll cover the other stuff briefly first.

RESOLING

Every so often your high-quality shoes (those which come with a leather sole; see above) will need resoling. You can tell because the sole will start wearing thin. Don't wait until you have holes--after the holes in your soles come holes in the lining and that's pretty bad--at that point, you're well on your way to ruining the shoes.

Most towns still have a few places where you can get shoes resoled. You may have to search a little for them. The process will run you about $40.

STORAGE & TRAVEL

People make a big deal out of storing and traveling with shoes. I wouldn't. The only piece of advice that seems worthwhile is to get some shoe trees. These are wooden (usually cedar) inserts which fill the shoes while you're feet aren't. They help the shoes keep their shape and prevent the toes from turning up, specifically. Shoe trees are $15-25.

POLISHING

Ok, now for the fun stuff: polishing. The effect of wearing a decent pair of shoes can be ruined by having a bad finish. Polishing them once a fortnight or so can make a big difference. In the same way, you can prevent a mediocre pair of shoes from ruining your outfit by keeping a fine shine on them.

Here's the stuff you'll need for a pair of real leather shoes. Note, don't use polish on buckskins or patent leather--you've been warned!

1. Polish. I've always used Kiwi polish and been satisfied. There are probably better brands. You'll need to match the color of your shoes with the color of your polish: black for black, brown for brown, cordovan (that's burgandy or marroon) for cordovan, etc.
2. Horse-hair brush.
3. Application rag. Get a soft clean cotton rag to apply the polish. I use an old t-shirt.
4. Buff rag. Out of the same t-shirt I made a buffing rag, which will be used once the polish has been applied.
5. Toothbrush. An odd item, you say? Not so: we'll use this toothbrush to get polish in the crack between the sole and top. Go buy a cheap toothbrush; don't use your recently retired bathroom edition!

Ok, now for the instructions. Begin by cleaning the shoe if its really dirty--don't grind the dirt into the shoe with the polish. You can do this with a damp cloth and your horse-hair brush. That was simple enough now on to polishing. We'll start from the bottom up, polishing the sole (the side of the sole, not the very bottom of the shoe). Take your shoe and note the (usually black for dark colored shoes and brown otherwise) wooden edge of the sole visible from the side of the shoe. This gets all sorts of dirt and scratches regularly. Take your finger, wrap it in your application rag, acquire some polish, and apply evenly to this edge, covering the imperfections.

Next, take your toothbrush, get a little polish on the tip, and squeeze it in the crack between the wooden sole and the leather upper. This serves two purposes: 1) it will help keep water out of your shoes by sealing this crack, and 2) blackens/browns the dust and scratches that are here.

These two steps are often overlooked because people focus on beautifying the top of the shoe. But, having dirt or scratches here can really detract from the look of the shoe.

Now, simply apply an even coat of polish onto the top of the shoe with the applicator rag. Rub it in pretty well. Now, go repeat these steps on the next shoe.

Finally, take the shoe and brush off the excess polish. Then, use your buffing rag and give it a good rub. Polishing is about applying polish then removing it, thus covering over cuts and dents making the surface smooth and smooth surfaces shine. You can repeat this process if you want a little more shine plus you can use a few drops of water as you buff to get the same effect (hence the saying, "Spit and polish.").

A few final tips:

• Polish a new pair of shoes before you wear them. The factory polish is pretty bad and probably won't protect you from the rain.