Grab a trash bag and come with me to your closet. I need to purge my shoe collection from time to time, and as all men should do, we should not be wearing some of the shoes that younger dudes are wearing or that we’ve been wearing way too long. Here’s what you should purge.
Hopefully, you don’t have any of these shoes
- Ugly shoes. These shoes were a bad buying decision. All of us make these bad decisions from time to time. We might think they’re awesome at the time, but we probably end up not wearing them.
- Shoes you never wore. It doesn’t matter how much you spent on them; you shouldn’t have them in your wardrobe if you never wore them.
- Sandals/flip-flops + funky feet. If you’re not going to be foot-responsible, you need to toss them because your toes are showing. You need to make sure your toes are not messed up and nasty.
- Shoes that don’t break in. Even if you thought they would break in, and they don’t, you need to get rid of them. If they’re not comfortable, you don’t need to wear them.
- Pointy toe box. If the toe box is too pointy, they’re not in style. You need to find shoes with a more natural toe box. It’s not overly dramatic (not too pointy or square). A cap toe is another option with more detail but a natural toe box.
- Boat shoes. If you’re an adult and still have a pair of these, you need to eliminate them. This includes Sperry Topsiders, the first modern boat shoe.
- Flashy sneakers. Get rid of those shoes, saying, ‘Look at me!’
- Toms. Toms suck.
- Dirty shoes. If you’re stylish, you need to take care of your shoes. If your laces are worn out, gnarled, or frayed, replace them. If your shoes are dirty, clean them. If the soles are scuffed, fix them. The shoes you’re wearing should be presentable; if not, toss them.
- Hey Dudes. If you’re an adult dude rocking those, you’re not stylish. They are zero-stylish.
- Functional dress shoes. These dress shoes have an athletic sole on the bottom but a business upper. This is like the mullet of shoes, and they don’t work. It’s a hybrid shoe that sucks.
- Dad sneakers. The whole trend of the big bulky monster shoes sucks. If you’re a young dude, that’s fine, but they’re expensive and going out of style. Even if you’re young, don’t waste your money.
- Pricey shoes. These super expensive white minimal leather sneakers aren’t that premium.
- Stinky shoes. If you can smell your shoes or they’re not fresh, toss them. Don’t stick them in the freezer. Get new shoes. Do not wear your shoes barefoot, either. Wear no-show socks or sprinkle powder inside your shoe to absorb odor and sweat.
- Crocs. Many young dudes are rocking Crocs again, and they’re not cool or stylish. Avoid them.
- Sneakers with everything. I’m not just talking about running shoes. I’m talking about wearing any sneakers with everything.
- Mismatched dress shoes + outfit. Certain dress shoes have certain levels of dressiness. A super shiny shoe is a bit more dressy and formal. You can’t dress them down with jeans; it won’t work.
- Super trendy dress shoes. Don’t wear dress shoes that are super trendy or overly pointy.
- Fake leather. Fake leather construction is cheap and plastic. They look cheap, and the shoes won’t last as long as leather.
