Clothing > Footwear
10 Best Business Casual Shoes for Men: Styles that Will Work
For as much as menswear is about a proper look and feel, it’s also as much about meeting the moment, or dressing suitably for the situation at hand.
There’s a time and a place for most everything in your wardrobe of style essentials – at least, that’s what I’ve found in my experience – and that certainly goes for the best business casual shoes.
Office dress codes are more laidback these days, and you could make the argument that many offices now lean more “business casual” than anything.
But what makes a pair of the best business casual shoes? Traditional leather dress shoes can fit the bill, but so can a proper pair of stylish chukka boots, some sleek loafers or even dressy leather sneakers. Hybrid sneaker boots made the right way also qualify.
Let’s find the best shoes for business casual style, shall we?
- A time and place: There’s an art to getting business casual style correct, starting with your shoes. Leave your most casual kicks at home and look for refined yet comfortable leather options.
- Traditional yet modern: Business casual dressing gives you more freedom than a conservative dress code, so styles like chukka boots and lace-up dress boots can also work well, depending on the office.
- Say yes to sneakers: While more laidback than some other shoe styles on the market, the right pair of leather sneakers (among other options) can work handsomely in business casual scenarios.
The Best Types of Business Casual Shoes
- Leather sneakers: Leather sneakers with a clean, dressy profile can replace traditional dress shoes, when styled the right way.
- Chukka boots: A pair of clean, crisp chukka boots in stylish suede or leather are also an apt pairing with classic business casual ensembles, particularly when worn with dark, crisp blue jeans.
- Dress boots: Wear a pair of lace-up dress or Chelsea boots much like you would traditional dress shoes, yet take comfort in knowing they’re, well, more comfortable and casually cool.
- Leather or suede lace-up shoes: Yes, classic leather dress shoes can work in a business casual office, but avoid styles you’d wear with, say, a tuxedo and look for leather or suede in shades of tan or earthen tones.
- Loafers: Loafers are at once refined and yet suitable for a more relaxed office dress code, but stick to timeless styles like the leather penny loafer when in doubt.
There’s a vast array of choice for business casual shoes, but when I need to step into a meeting, I lace up my Amberjack dress shoes.
They’re a sort of “just right” shoe, with the silhouette and style to work with dark blue or black jeans, tobacco-hued chinos or linen trousers, not to mention my favorite Oxford shirts.
Amberjack Original Dress Shoes
The key when finding a pair of men’s business casual dress shoes? Finding a style that mimics the same end result as a classic leather dress shoe, but with more, well, business casual details.
These feature sneaker technology and an open lacing system for a look that styles up with chinos or down with blue jeans.
Clarks Malwood Oxford Shoes
Don’t sleep on the traditional brown leather lace-up when looking for business casual shoes, but instead, go for one that seems a bit more casually rugged – these are suitable to wear with jeans (not unlike Clarks chukka boots), but also style well with stretch chinos.
Astorflex Bitflex Chelsea Boots
Styling a business casual ensemble is a tricky balance, since you neither want to go too dressed up nor too casual.
Chelsea boots in textured leather ought to do the trick, especially when styled with a lightweight navy blazer, a chambray shirt and dark blue jeans. Huckberry and Astorflex have just the complementary pair you need.
Cole Haan ZeroGrand Penny Loafers
In my experience, business casual shoes give you some room to move around, literally, which is where a pair of stylish hybrid shoes come into play.
These feature a sporty, sneaker-like outsole – ideal for long days on your feet – but the elegant leather upper of a timeless loafer, a versatile design I appreciate.
Grenson Chester Chukka Boots
Known for its bold and carefully crafted boots, Grenson shoes are executed with an eye for heritage details and versatility.
Beyond that, this also means its leather chukka boots are more dressy than rugged, ideal for pairing with many a biz casual outfit.
HELM Finn Chelsea Boots
The Chelsea boot might reign supreme among the top shoes for business casual style, at least in my experience.
It adds a slight edge to more formal looks, it wears well with tailored chinos, linen trousers or dark blue jeans, and in the case of this pair from HELM, it comes in richly crafted leather that gets better with age.
Grantstone Coast Sneakers
Putting together the perfect business casual look gives you some flexibility, so you can go high-low (like a merino tee under a light blazer, paired with stretch chinos). For those times, these premium leather dress sneakers are an ultra-comfortable, crisp move.
G.H. Bass and Co. Logan Penny Loafers
You might call G.H. Bass loafers some of the original and best as far as the best loafers for men are concerned, which makes them an opportune addition to a business casual look (think: Rolled medium-wash jeans and a crisp blue Oxford shirt). They mean business without overdoing it, which is exactly where I like to be.
Thursday Boots Scout Chukka Boots
Thursday Boots has shot to prominence over the past-decade plus by delivering affordable, high-quality chukka boots (and much more) at a great value.
The Scout Chukka Boot is an excellent example of a perfect men’s business casual shoe, with a versatile profile and a rich suede upper.
GREATS Royale 2.0
It can be tough to craft a pair of sneakers that can stand up to both dressier and more casual style scenarios, but GREATS has pulled that off with its classic Royale shoe. The key here is the use of crisp, refined Italian leather in handsome colors.
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