Woe unto the gentleman that stubbornly relegates his footwear collection to sneakers and, well, yet more sneakers. To shun and deprive oneself from a much-required element of variety borders on unforgivable sartorial sin. Sneakers cannot sufficiently satisfy every occasion in a gentleman’s life, and truthfully, neither can a formal dress shoe – although it comes tantalizingly close. The solution: seek comfortable middle ground. Enter the casual nubuck shoe. Nubuck is the outer layer of cattle hide that has been buffed and sanded to achieve a soft nap and light velvet touch. Similar to suede, it is actually a little tougher, and theoretically, should last longer. Perfect for casual work days. Perfect for a relaxed dinner on the weekend. Perfect for easygoing cookouts in the backyard. For all intents and purposes, it’s probably the perfect casual shoe that you are not wearing. Here are 5 reasons why you should be wearing them, like, right now.
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- G.H. Bass & Co.
- G.H. Bass & Co.
- Brooks Brothers
- Brooks Brothers
- Johnston & Murphy
Five reasons to wear some bucks
- A distinguished pair of nubuck shoes can handle almost any casual environment that a gentleman may encounter during long summer months when fun is inevitable.
- Because, when dress shoes are too strict and sneakers are far too lax, a clean pair of denim jeans require the appropriate middle ground – the laudable nubuck. And that includes khakis as well.
- Colored dress shoes, perhaps, are too garish for an average gentleman’s sartorial palate. Colored nubucks, on the other hand, afford the slightest of flexibility for experimentation. It’s a low risk, high reward circumstance. You can’t lose.
- Maintenance is crazy simple. Yes, shoe trees are still recommended. However, a gentleman need not worry about shoe polish and the like. Invest in a suede & nubuck protector. And invest in a brush and gum eraser. Touch up the obligatory scuff or stain as needed.
- Nubuck shoes are relatively inexpensive. In fact, they can be readily purchased at discount spots such as DSW on the regular.
Yes, bucks are a must for the summer … But what color belt does one wear with navy blue bucks? Does the “belt must match the shoes” rule still apply?
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A multicolored braided belt could be an option. I usually wear one when I wear shoes that are blue or green, and those colors just happen to be in the belt. If that’s not your thing, there are some brands that offer some unconventional colors like Johnston and Murphy here https://www.johnstonmurphy.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-johnston-murphy-us-Site/en_US/Search-Show?q=belts#q=belts&prefn1=color&prefv1=Blue
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