Closed Lace Dress Shoes

Closed-laced dress shoes are the more formal of the two types of lace up shoes. This option is recommended with worsted fabric suits. Sometimes, these dress shoes can double as formal shoes. Traditional formal shoes are patent leather, but you’ll find those times when your other black dress shoes will work as well. If you could only have one pair of dress shoes, they should be closed-laced with some brogueing or decoration. The shoes should be black.

Open Lace Shoes

Open-laced shoes are a fantastic choice for many occasions. They go with wool suits (tweeds, for example) and business casual environments. Some men find them to be more comfortable than closed-lace shoes because the lacing allows more expansion. Open-laced dress shoes are less formal than closed-laced dress shoes, but have their place in your closet and on your feet.

Anatomy of a Dress Shoe

Let's talk about lace-up dress shoes and two important shoe terms, Vamp and Quarter. The vamp is part of the upper that covers your toes and instep. The quarter meets the vamp, mid-foot and wraps around the heel. And, since we're talking about lace ups, lets discuss the difference between open and closed lace-up shoes: open-laced shoes have the quarters sewn on top of the vamp, and closed-laced shoes have the vamp sewn on top of the quarters. The photo shows the difference.

Kroon

In today's more relaxed business environments, a man can't have too many dress-casual options. Come check out the great options currently available at Chelsea from Kroon!