Blog Bites – Does It Really Matter How My Shoes Look?

Introduction

Not too long ago, I was able to acquire a very special pair of shoes.

For a long time I had admired the work of the fine folks over at John Lobb. They specialize in footwear and have a very rich history in that field.

In addition to admiring their shoes, I also admired the timeless and classic look of a proper oxford dress shoe. To me, these shoes exude class and sophistication.

I’ve come to realize that dark brown is one of the top 3 most versatile colors in menswear. It is rivaled only by navy and charcoal gray.

I found this pair of John Lobb City II shoes online at a remarkable price that was too good to pass up.

If you look closely you may see that these shoes aren’t just solid brown, but actually a museum calf. This variation in color was just one more thing I admired about these shoes.

Does It Really Matter To Have Shined Shoes?

Yes. But more specifically it matters to have well maintained shoes.

By well maintained I mean shoes that look like they are properly cared for. They go through a regular “maintenance program” of cleaning, conditioning, and even shining.

Why should you take care of your shoes? Well the real question is:

So again I ask you,

You know what’s all those examples have in common?

• Each item belongs to you
• People can see each item

Whether it’s your home, or personal hygiene, all of these things say something about you based on how they look.

Clean house? Probably someone who’s organized, sophisticated, and well-off.

Dirty house? Probably someone who’s lazy, unorganized, and not keeping track of things.

Here’s the killer part

The above judgements people pass upon you may not even be true!

You could be a genius who lives in a dirty house. Or a silly person in a super clean home.

Unfortunately people associate success, intelligence, and wealth with certain things that they see.

Personally, I’d rather have people think I was smart and successful even if it wasn’t the whole truth!

So if I can put a positive image in people’s minds just by having shined shoes you better believe I’m going to take advantage of that opportunity.

Shined shoes are one of those things.

What Do Shined Shoes Say About Me?

Shined shoes say a lot about a person.

The first thing they say is

Because they say ” I take myself seriously”, it conveys the message to onlookers that they should probably take you seriously as well.

Before anyone believes in you, you must first believe in yourself.

The second thing they say is

A person with shined shoes isn’t living in the future. They are present-minded and taking the necessary time to do all things well.

If it’s worth putting on nice shoes, it’s worth them looking their best. Not only that, but it’s worth them looking their best at virtually all times!

A third and final thing that shined shoes say about a person is actually not about the person at all. It’s actually to those who view the person wearing the shoes.

Part of being a well-dressed individual is what your attire says to others. It shows that you respect and think highly enough of them to dress well in their presence.

Much like being on time to a meeting shows you respect everyone else’s time, shined shoes show that you put a lot of thought into every detail of your outfit for your sake, and the sake of those you would be with.

Conclusion

Hopefully this blog post has shown you why this age old practice of shined shoes is still relevant in modern times.

The benefits of shined shoes far outweigh the time it takes to have them serviced.

Lastly, these principles apply not just to dress shoes, but any kind of footwear you choose to wear.

Clean, well-maintained footwear will keep you A Step Above the common man or woman.

Until next time, yall have a good one.

Posted By: Jeffrey Chark · In: Style Talk