5 Great Men's Summer Shoes

I've recently been in the market for some new warm-weathered footwear and I've come across a few great men's summer shoes. These styles are comfortable, stylish, and light enough for summer.

Boat Shoes:


Boat shoes, also known as deck shoes or top siders, have rubber soles and used to be made primarily out of leather. As they've migrated from use almost exclusively by actual sailors into city streets, you can find them in plenty of other materials, such as suede or canvas.

These looks good with chinos, jeans, even more formal office attire. They're extremely versatile and look great on most people. You can find them in classic brown leather or in bolder colours. If you're opting for the latter, make sure they work with the rest of your outfit -- don't wear bright white boat shoes with white chinos, for example, lest you look like you should be handing out towels at the country club. I see too many people walking around with colourful shoes that could look great, but don't because they don't blend with the rest of the outfit.

Espadrilles:



Espadrilles were first worn by Spanish and Portugese peasants, so it's fitting that they're one of the most affordable summer shoe options for men. They typically have a sole made from woven rope and either a canvas or thin leather upper.

One disclaimer: make sure you're buying a pair designed for men, as espadrilles (particularly in Spain) are primarily worn by women.

With that in mind, if you're still interested in a pair of these, there are plenty of options. As I mentioned, you can usually find them in a canvas or leather upper, with the former being more casual than the latter. They also come in a variety of colours and patterns.

Without knowing your employment situation, it's safe to say that these are not appropriate for most offices. Wear them to the beach or out running errands, but not for formal events.

Sneakers:




I'm not talking about big, bulky, Nike shoes. Those are what some people want, but I'm going to focus on simple and light tennis-style sneakers.

The best sneakers should have thin soles and clean lines. I think the more simple the better. I'm partial to Fred Perry's styles, particularly the slip-on pictured above.

Whatever you do, stay away from Converse canvas sneakers. Unless you want to look like a pre-teen skateboarder, that is.

Spectator Shoes:




Spectator shoes were made famous as a formal sport shoes, first used by cricket players and adopted by golfers.

They are typically wing-tips (though they can be loafers or cap-toes) and are two-toned, often white and brown.

Though it's unusual, you can still wear these on the golf course and they're appropriate for a day in the city or at the office.

Moccasins:




Moccasins have had a bit of a renaissance lately and so you can there are some really nice styles out there at the moment.

Unfortunately, the nicest (from Tod's, for example) will usually cost you a couple hundred dollars. You can find lower quality options for under a $100, but they're likely to wear out after one or two summers.

If that's not a problem for you, then these are very versatile and good for most casual settings and some business settings. They come in almost any colour you can imagine, and purple mocs in particular are something of a trend among the Italian set.