Men's boots for suits?

August 20, 2010 4:28 PM

Men's boots for suits? I am thinking of buying a pair of ankle or shin-high boots to wear and I want to know about pairing boots with suits. I would rather wear lace-ups than have a zip or a stretch band.
posted by parmanparman to Clothing, Beauty, & Fashion (9 answers total)

For the Trad in you? Alden.
For the Hipster in you? Barker Black Lavenum (or, if you want less detailing, any strappy jodhpur will do...)

Any sort of balmoral will please you most likely, (see this thread on StyleForum for ideas)

Personally? I have RM Williams boots, which are elastic-sided but very sleek, and when clean and polished and paired with slim trousers, easily dressy. See this sleekness comparison with far more expensive John Lobb boots (RMW are the plain-toed ones)...

I'm extremely happy with my RMW boots in terms of comfort and quality. That being said I'm also shopping for a pair of lace-up balmorals...but mostly because I want to wear boots almost exclusively from now on, and I like giving my RMW a day between wearings to breathe...
posted by weaponsgradecarp at 4:42 PM on August 20, 2010

The only boots that look right -- and not just right, *great* -- with a suit are dress cowboy boots.
posted by fourcheesemac at 5:43 PM on August 20, 2010

I don't love the look, but I have a pair of low boots by Cole Haan I bought for inclement weather (like these, but not more of a matte brown finish)--you might find some ideas in this question I posted a while back.

Ditto with fourcheesemac--if you're doing boots with a suit, make em cowboy boots. But probably don't do boots with a suit.
posted by Admiral Haddock at 6:45 PM on August 20, 2010

If you're going for the 60s-mod look, check out the "Booted and Suited" section of Atom Retro.
posted by deanc at 6:55 PM on August 20, 2010

I see Alden mentioned above, but here are a couple of specific examples:

Indy Boot

Tanker Boot

They're pricey but they'll last a decade or more if you care for them properly. Alden also offers restoration (for a fee) that you can take advantage of once they start to wear out.
posted by crosbyh at 8:21 PM on August 20, 2010

I like my Stacey Adams, but they can be a bit slippery to walk in.
posted by Wossname at 9:16 PM on August 20, 2010

On the Alden front, the new cordovan captoe boot they're doing for J. Crew is particularly sweet. Pricy yes, but you will have them for the rest of your life.
posted by neroli at 10:15 PM on August 20, 2010

I have the above mentioned Alden x J. Crew boots and love them. I also have a great pair of John Lobb cordovan balmoral boots that I wear often with a suit, and they are like wearing sticks of plush, comfy butter on my feet.

My go-to, however, is a pair (actually, several pairs) of J. Crew and Clarks suede desert boots. My favorite is light tan desert boots with navy pinstripes or seersucker. It provides a nice, casual contrast with the normal wingtips or captoes for the pinstripes, and a less-costumey look compared to saddle shoes or white bucks.
posted by broadway bill at 11:11 PM on August 20, 2010

Balmoral boots used to be what people wore with suits until the early 20th century. They look like dress shoes when you are wearing them with pants, so most people won't even realize they are boots.

I wouldn't recommend the Alden Indy boot with a suit. They look like construction worker boots.
posted by twblalock at 7:24 AM on August 22, 2010