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GQ Recommends
By Avidan Grossman, Jake Woolf, Michella Oré and Jessie Atkinson
Be the cowboy boots you want to see in the boardroom with GQ's pick of the best business casual shoes.
For anyone who's ever struggled to parse the meaning of an especially Byzantine dress code, "business casual" can be a cursed phrase. Thankfully, the best business casual shoes for men are nothing less than a blessing in disguise, a happy medium between the full-on formal shoes gathering dust in the back of your closet and the tattered trainers piled precariously by your front door. Finding the idea of lacing up a pair of office-friendly shoes a little, uh, daunting? That's where these shoes come in. They'll help office life that much more bearable, all without invoking traumatising memories of rigid dress codes from years past.
No matter what type of corporate environment you're in — from the type of law firm that'd fire you on the spot for wearing Converse to the sort of start-up that's constantly touting its "relaxed work culture" — there's a shoe style here for you. All of 'em will sync up seamlessly with the dress shirts you've been wearing with boxers and not much else on Zoom on those days you get to work from home, and help spruce up your more casual outfits in the process. Pair them with a soft, gently-structured blazer and a silk knit tie come your next big presentation or an Oxford-cloth button-down and chinos on a regular old weekday.
1/11
Fear of God
Jerry Lorenzo's ultra-slick Chelsea boots look just as good with razor-sharp suits as they do with jeans and a breezy button-up. The ideal shoe for those who want to look like they've just come off stage with their rock band…in a chill way.
2/11
Dr Martens
The gig-stomper's low-rise cousin, Dr. Martens' brogue oxfords have been the music fan's choice of business casual for decades, meaning they're already a recognisable feature of working lunches and boardrooms the country over.
3/11
Gucci
An icon of louche and debonair dressing, the Gucci horsebit loafer is the comfiest — and only — biz-casj shoe you may ever need.
4/11
Prada
Most designer sneakers aren't worth the added premium. Prada's iconic America's Cup kicks aren't most designer sneakers.
5/11
Morjas
New-gen Chelsea boots from one of the premier practitioners of the form, a sturdier smart-casual pair of shoes you will not find. Born for wear with stiff, straight denim.
6/11
Maison Margiela
Maison Margiela's take on the legendary German Army Trainer is sleek, sexy, and way more comfortable than your brogues — exactly the kind of shoe you should be wearing right now.
7/11
Yogi
If your job description involves any allusion towards easy livin', don't over think it — just buy these.
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8/11
Lanvin
A fashion shoe for the man who doesn’t want to stray too far from the traditional, you could go high or low with Lanvin's enlarged silhouette oxfords. With an unusual quilted topstitch and an atonal green sole, they're a stand-out play on traditional business attire.
9/11
R.M. Williams
Chelsea boots that will anchor your most casual looks as effortlessly as they will your sleekest tailoring, R.M. Williams' “Craftsman” boots go with absolutely everything.
10/11
John Lobb
A modish narrow shape and stark white vamp give these painstakingly crafted John Lobb oxfords a devil-may-care aura that helps them work with more casual 'fits as well as high class ones.
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11/11
Birkenstock
Birkenstock makes plenty of low-key alternatives worth your dollars, but the Boston remains the internet's favorite slide for a reason.
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