Last week I got a request from one of my readers to do something about men’s shoes, so I decided to take that on this week. Guys need shoes too, after all, so I’m going to go over some of the options that are out there.
Let me start by saying that I’m going to ditch the trends for a bit, because men’s fashion tends to be more constant, more basic than women’s fashion. There are exceptions, of course, but the turn-around rate for what is “in” or not is a lot slower for those of the male persuasion.
With that said, there are a number of manufacturers that make men’s vegan shoes. It’s probably best to go to a site that is specifically oriented for vegan shoes to be sure that you are getting true vegan shoes. It’s easy to be fooled by synthetic materials that still use glues obtained from animal ingredients. I know vegan shoes can be a bit pricey, but you can easily find a pair for $60 or less on sale. In the future, I’ll discuss ways that we can work together to bring prices down, but that’s for another day.
So that you won’t be totally on your own, I’m going to give you three personal choices for guys (or for the lady who will be buying shoes for her guy as the case often is). Men generally don’t have as many shoes as women, and some are stubborn enough that they wear the same shoes with everything regardless of egregious mismatching, but I think every guy should at the least have a pair of sneakers, a casual pair of shoes and a pair of dress shoes. Of course, it’s more ideal to have different colors and styles within these three categories, but let’s keep it simple for now.
My sneaker of choice for men (which can also be worn by ladies, of course) is Patagonia’s Tenzing Men, which you can get at Planet Shoes. It is available in two color schemes and looks like it would be a good shoe for any outdoor activity, from easy walking to more heavy-duty hiking. It’s made with recycled materials and has a natural, simple look with just a hint of color for flare.
Next is a casual shoe from Ragazzi Vegan called Bean-1. It is available in brown and black. Either one would go with a large portion of one’s wardrobe, and if you get both, you’ll be set for sure. This shoe is particularly nice because it’s considered a casual shoe, but because of its design, it could also easily work for a semi-formal occasion.
This shoe is a classic dress design that is timeless. It has been constant for decades and I don’t see it going anywhere anytime soon, so for $45, you’ve got a shoe that will always work for a formal occasion, whether it’s church, a dance or a business conference. This should give the guys a start. There are definitely options out there – you may just have to dig a little harder, but I’ve got the shovel in motion for you.