There are a lot of ways to craft new outfits from your existing wardrobe. You can randomly select items and see if they work together. Or, a more efficient method would be to lay everything down in front of you and mix and match until you have a lineup of sharp ensembles.
The most efficient method, however, is to choose a defining item and craft the outfits around it. This item needs to be something that you can often wear without issues; a pair of leather shoes or a leather jacket.
You can go a step further and only use a pair of shoes since a jacket will limit you to the hotter days of the year. This method of crafting outfits around a pair of shoes is exactly what this guide is about.
Here are nine of the most exhilarating outfits with brown shoes you can create as a starting point.
What To Expect In This Article?
With a Navy Blue Suit
Let’s start off strong with the pinnacle of men’s fashion and outfits with brown shoes, a suit. While there are hundreds of unique suits to choose from, both in design and color, nothing beats the charm of a navy blue suit paired with brown oxford shoes.
Just like black suits, navy blue suits are eye-catching on their own with their ideal mix of vibrancy and maturity. Pair them with brown shoes, and you’ve got the attention of everyone in the room.
If we had to pick one reason behind the colossal success of this seemingly simple combo, our bets would be on the color. Brown and blue are meant to be together, and there is nothing that can be proven otherwise.
Combine this sparkling matchup with the sheen of leather and vibrancy of navy blue, and you’ve got the ultimate suit setup.
Blue Jeans & White T-shirt
On the other end of the spectrum, we have an outfit with only two elements other than the shoes – blue jeans and a white t-shirt. This bare-bone combo sounds pretty lame on paper, but the magic lies in execution. Instead of wearing any t-shirt or shoes at your disposal, consider the following.
The white t-shirt needs to be either a half-sleeved V-neck or full-sleeved Henley collar. As for the jeans, navy blue, straight-cut jeans are the way to go. Lastly, the shoes need to be brown suede Chelsea boots with the jeans folded above them.
Gradient Brown Build
Monochrome outfits like all-black are all too common in men’s fashion, so can we do the same thing with brown? No, we can’t, but there is an alternative, and that is to build a gradient. Start this look with a pair of dark brown derby shoes. Pair these shows with khaki chinos. Top that with a light brown polo t-shirt, and you’re done.
This outfit is great on its own. The symmetry of fading colors draws attention to it, while the polo and chino combo make it look complete. However, you can take this a step further by adding a brown leather jacket into the mix. The jacket needs to be the same shade as the shoes or darker for this to work properly.
Brown Shoes & Brown Belt
You can wear black leather shoes
For example, say you’re wearing a dark blue shirt with white stripes and distressed blue trousers. This outfit will look okay with brown oxfords if you wear them as is. Replace the black belt with one that matches the custom leather shoes, and the outfit goes from just okay to one of the best.
If the brown outfit somehow messes with the flow of an outfit, you can replace it with something smaller. A great example of this is a tie clip. It’s a small item, but wearing a dominantly brown clip over a light-colored tie will make it stand out, creating its connection with the brown shoes.
Preppy Style With Dark Blazer
Preppy style refers to clothes that look like they require a lot of effort and attention to put together but can be assembled in minutes. Brown formal shoes like oxfords can help with that perception thanks to their association with professionals and tireless workers. You have two key components for this outfit, then, brown shoes and a dark-colored blazer.
The choice of pants and shirt is completely up to you, but it is better to stay simple. Stick to known combos like navy blue pants and a white button-up or charcoal pants with a black turtleneck. Just make sure that your shoes are clean and well shined to complete the transformation.
Army Inspired Colors
The heart of this outfit is a pair of brown tactical boots with dark brown laces. These leather boots are directly associated with the badass military, thus fetching a spot score in men’s fashion with boots. Other elements of this build include khaki cargo pants, black tank top, and a brown biker leather jacket.
Camo cargo pants can work as a replacement for khaki, but camo is on the decline these days, so it’s best to avoid it. Also, the look will be affected by the shade of your brown leather boots. Light brown boots will look better in terms of fashion, but dark brown will suit better for the tough guy vibe.
Hooded Casual With Brown Sneakers
Not all fashion is about looks. Some of it is about convenience and comfort, and it’s this second attribute that’s maxed out by this outfit. Instead of tactical boots or formal shoes, this ensemble relies on brown low-top leather sneakers to maintain the brown theme while getting comfortable.
Atop the shoes are a pair of straight-cut black jeans and a light brown hooded sweatshirt on top of that. This brown shoes, black pants combo looks sharp, while the cozy hoodie keeps you comfy.
Layered Brown Winter Outfit
Wearing interesting and experimental outfits with brown shoes is great and all, but sometimes the magic lies in the basics. This is the philosophy that guides this to-the-point winter outfit that still manages to drop jaws with its style.
As always, the outfit starts with brown shoes, derby shoes for this one. They’re then topped by a pair of basic blue jeans held up with a brown leather belt. Tucked inside the jeans is a white or light blue button-up that’s then topped by a light brown V-neck sweater.
The final piece of this puzzle is a brown leather bomber jacket with a similar shade to the custom shoes, and you’re done.
Vibrant Maroon Funk
Many believe that brown shoes are limited to serious outfits with a mature tone, but this outfit with brown shoes proves otherwise. Starting from the bottom, we have brown leather loafers without socks.
The shirt in this ensemble is a white button-up with a black or dark blue check. Sandwiched between these two are vibrant maroon pants with a brown belt. Some might assume that this combo of maroon and brown will show some stylistic incompatibilities, but it works better than you might expect.
What to wear with brown leather shoes?
Brown leather shoes look brilliant with classic jeans, khaki or tan chinos, light brown shorts, and brown cargo pants. Same goes for plain t-shirts, button-ups and brown leather jackets.
What to wear with beige shoes for guys?
Beige shoes look exceptional with very light brown chinos, light blue or gray button-ups, and brown leather blazers.
Do brown dress shoes go with black pants?
Yes, they do. The compatibility of brown dress shoes and black pants gets apparent every time someone wears a full black suit with brown shoes.
Do brown shoes go with everything?
Yes, but with a few exceptions. Unlike black, which goes with literally everything, brown is a bit rough around vibrant colors and some shades of purple.
Final Words
Turning a closet full of individual items into an arsenal of stylish and evergreen outfits is tough. The most effective method of tackling this issue is to focus on one element, brown shoes in this case, and craft your outfits around it.
Not only does this method work well, but it’s also super-fast compared to everything else. Plus, this way, you get plenty of use out of your brown shoe investment.
