The Most Popular Dress Shoes Among Professionals

The Most Popular Dress Shoes Among Professionals

GC Tech's founders didn't get into the business of producing waterproof overshoes just because they needed a product that they thought they could sell. They actually care about your shoes. In fact, one of the founders is a professional himself, so he knows what it's like to wind up with dress shoes covered with water spots, dirt, and debris.

All that said, we are shoe people at GC Tech. We are fascinated by all things shoe related. So much so that we did a little research in hopes of discovering what the most popular dress shoes among professional men are. We weren't interested in particular brands per se, just the styles professional men wear most often.

Here's what our research revealed:

The Oxford

One could make the case that the oxford is the most popular dress shoe style among professional men. It is appreciated because it is an all-purpose shoe that goes with just about anything. You can wear a pair of oxfords throughout the work week even if you change your suits every day. But that's not all. Oxfords work equally well with formal wear – like tuxedos, for example.

The oxford is characterized by a closed throat lacing system, with leather quarters meeting at the base. This design creates a very nice, neat, and clean appearance when the shoes are fully laced and tied.

The Brogue

The brogue is a style of shoe that accentuates artistic perforations to provide visual depth and texture. Brogues are sometimes confused with wingtips thanks to the decorative wings on both sides. But brogues tend to offer a little less flair. They are generally a single color – usually black or a very dark brown. Interestingly, the brogue's perforations were originally intended to help water drain away from the shoe. Today, they are aesthetic enhancements only.

The Wingtip

Many people do not see a distinction between the brogue and wingtip. We do. Both styles feature an impressive wing on either side. However, brogues emphasize decorative perforations while wingtips put more emphasis on the wings themselves. The wings tend to be bigger and more noticeable.

Wingtips may or may not be decorated with perforations. They also can present just one color or multiple colors. Wingtips tend to accentuate the length of your foot, so they shouldn't be worn with narrow leg slacks. As well as this, they are not always a good choice for complementing a tuxedo.

The Derby

If you are into a less formal look without going completely informal, the derby is a good choice. Derbies are not considered formal shoes. However, they are dress shoes perfectly suitable for the work environment. They are characterized by single piece construction and an open throat lacing design. A good pair of derbies also has a thicker sole and a wider toe. They are perhaps the most comfortable of all laced dress shoe types.

Loafer

Last but not least is the traditional loafer. It used to be that loafers were not considered business worthy. This is no longer the case. Some of today's loafers are every bit as dressy as oxfords and brogues. Their primary benefit is ease-of-use. They slip on and off as easily as our waterproof shoe covers.

So, which dress shoe style do you prefer? Regardless of your choice, do not expose your dress shoes to the weather. Protect them with a great pair of waterproof shoe covers from GC Tech. Remember, we are shoe people at heart. We have designed our slip-on and zip-up shoe covers with one goal in mind: protecting your shoes against rain, snow, road salt, and anything else the environment can throw at them.