QTips: How to Pick a Great Dress Shoe

A couple weeks ago, I posted my observations from Memorial Day, and a good friend of mine left me a facebook message, asking me about how to pick out a dress shoe. If I may paraphrase, his message basically said "you say pointed toe shoes are out, and so are square toes, so whats left?"

That was a very good question and I feel the need to help out those gents out there that may find it hard to actually find the shoes that are between the two extremes that I mentioned.

First, let me show you some shoes that are indeed No-No's according to the Ave..

The Square Toe: Went out of style back in 2001.. Too bulky and dowdy. The round toe: These are way too round... They remind me of my band shoes when I was Drum Major! Although these are by Ecco, which means they are probably SUPER comfortable, they are not stylish in any kind of way!Peter Pan: Extra long.. curled up toe... Peter Pan... need I say more? I will say this.. Even if you are in Miami for a weekend, these are not stylish at all! I can't even express how much I don't like these.. NO ME GUSTA!

OK, enough of those... Now Let's talk about what you should look for in a dress shoe. First, you should look for a shoe that gives your foot a stylish silhouette... A shoe that keeps your body proportional to your feet. If you got big boats, you should stay away from the longer silhouettes. Also, if you are into wearing slim fitted slacks, you may want to opt for a rounder toe shoe. Take a look at some of my favorite styles below.

These above have a modern-traditional look. This is as "round" a toe as you should get. Be careful when shopping for cap-toe shoes because there is a fine line. If you want these, they are $345 and made by A. Testoni. Perfect for business professional attire.If you want a more modern look, this is the silhouette you want. They are slightly pointer at the toe than the Testoni lace ups pictured first, but still have a slight rounding that make them cool to wear. The object is to stay away from any man shoe that could be mistaken as a stiletto. These are from Hugo Boss and go for $295.

I decided to show you how to pick a nice white loafer as well. You want to actually pick a white Driver as opposed to a Loafer. Also, if the sole is black, make sure that you can't see as that much black. These are by Prada and cost $395.

Any thoughts??? Leave comments!