Black dress shoes are an important part of your wardrobe and it’s recommended to own at least one pair. Although brown shoes are a comfortable yet formal versatile choice, black shoes are essential for more formal events.
In this guide, you will discover the top black men’s dress shoes that you can buy on Zappos.com:
- Allen Edmonds Fifth Avenue
- Johnston & Murphy Ellsworth Cap Toe
- Magnanni Montay
- Allen Edmonds Dalton
- Johnston & Murphy Fielden
You can use the links above to skip directly to our individual shoe highlights. Otherwise, continue scrolling to read about the characteristics of black shoes and what renders them particularly formal.
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- Style: Oxford Shoe
- Formality: Business Professional
- Pricing: $394.95 [Buy On Zappos]
Overview
Although a classic Oxford shoe at first glance, the Park Avenue from Allen Edmonds features a subtle touch of stitching across the balmoral cap toe. We love this attention to detail as well as the superior quality that you’re always guaranteed by the prestigious American brand.
How To Wear
Perfect for all your formal needs, these Oxfords can be worn with a typical business suit as well as all the way up to black-tie attire. Furthermore, they won’t look out of place for either work or special events, so they’re great for both everyday use or reserved for occasions.
Alternative Colors
You can also opt for a coffee/oxblood sort of color. Unlike most Oxford shoes, the reddish hue works quite well here thanks to the subtle design nuances, which offer extra visual interest.
- Style: Oxford Shoes
- Formality: Business Professional
- Pricing: $295 [Browse on Zappos]
Overview
For a more classic and understated Oxford shoe, we rate the Hyde Parks by Johnston & Murphy very highly. If you prefer a more affordable Oxford that doesn’t have Allen Edmond’s subtle broguing, these are an excellent choice and are made using a Goodyear welt.
How To Wear
Ideal for all potentially formal occasions, these are perfect with both business suits and cocktail attire. They’re also ideal for black tie events thanks to their stream-lined and elegant last.
Alternative Colors
Being an Oxford shoe, the only colour we’d recommend would be the black European calfskin. However, there is also a tan option available should you find it more in line with your wardrobe. Nevertheless, we’d suggest perusing our brown shoe recommendations in this case.
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- Style: Wholecut Shoes
- Formality: Business Professional
- Pricing: $399 [Buy Now On Zappos]
Overview
Handmade in Spain and featuring an Italian style, these classic European monkstraps are stunning. For something a little different from the norm, we’d consider the single-monkstrap shoe style and Magnanni’s Lennon creation is a fine specimen.
How To Wear
Black monkstrap shoes are particularly formal as they’re sleek with no ornamentation or details. Therefore, these are great for the upper-echelons of business wear. They’re also perfect for both cocktail and black tie attire to exude a particularly continental European style.
Best Colors
When worn in black, single monkstrap shoes are very formal and sleek. However, there’s also a “Cuero” (Brown) alternative which is a much more laid-back and versatile patina.
- Style: Oxford
- Formality: Business Professional
- Pricing: $475 [Browse On Zappos]
Overview
It can be difficult to find both formal and stylish dress boots as most are usually quite rustic with solely brown options. However, the Dalton Boot by Allen Edmonds is a refreshing change that offers superior craftsmanship.
How To Wear
With a pebbled leather quarter and smooth calfskin upper, these are surprisingly versatile. As the pebbled leather offer a more casual aspect, these are great to wear for both business casual and business formal occasions. Furthermore, the balmoral cap toe adds an extra layer of formality for good measure.
Alternative Colors
Our preferred color for these boots is black as the balmoral cap toe really brings it home. However, they are also available in brown leather for something that’s
- Style: Monkstrap
- Formality: Business Professional
- Pricing: $299 [Browse on Zappos]
Overview
Monkstrap shoes are a classic style that recently came back into fashion with force. Whilst this was particularly the case of double monkstraps, we’re smitten by the Johnston & Murphy’s Cormac from their “Handcrafted In Italy” collection.
How To Wear
A great choice for formal wear, the shoe’s smooth Italian calfskin is contrasted by an embossed finish over the quarters. This renders them a particularly splendid choice for business wear but can also be reserved for more formal occasions. Nevertheless, we’d find their stylish zeal ideal for cocktail attire.
Alternative Colors
Whilst the black is perfect for formal wear, sometimes you can find this same style in other tones such as brown, though we still prefer the classic black for this particular style.
Why Wear Black Dress Shoes?
Perceived as the most formal shoe color, black dress shoes are often considered the norm for many conservative office environments. When attending events with a certain dress code, they may even be obligatory.
When it comes to your own personal choice, you may have a preference for brown shoes instead. In this case, consider checking out our detailed guide to the best brown dress shoes for men.
However, even without these prerequisites, you may choose to wear black shoes of your own accord. Whilst it might be a question of personal style, they also exude a certain level of formality according to the shoe’s style.
Best Shoe Styles For Black Leather
It’s important to remember that whilst the color of a shoe plays a role in its formality, the shoe’s style and design do too. In fact, the relationship between a shoe’s color and its style can mean that even subtle changes can change its level of formality completely.
For instance, a black wholecut shoe would be considered very formal as it’s a sleek and smooth design. However, when in brown, they become very casual. This is because the lack of detail causes the colour to be the greatest deciding factor.
Meanwhile, an Oxford or brogue shoe will slightly change in formality when the colour is switched. Nevertheless, their iconic details mean that this plays a greater role in determining formality.
With keeping this in mind, let’s take a look at the most to least formal shoe styles when in black:
- Opera Pumps: A throwback to court footwear, opera pumps are rare to see these days. However, they’re an extremely formal style reserved for black tie events.
- Oxford Shoes: An iconic and timeless style, Oxford shoes are the most common formal shoes that you’ll see, which is why three are even featured in this list.
- Wholecut: A versatile yet formal shoe when black, Wholecuts would be among the most casual if made from brown leather.
- Monkstraps: Having seen an impressive renaissance, monk straps have returned as formal footwear that can even be dressier than Oxfords if well-made.
- Brogue: Although these exist in black, brogue ornamentation renders them very casual. This is one reason why they’re more common in brown leather.
- Derby: Likewise, derby shoes are more associated with brown leather. Therefore, they find themselves as the most casual when black.
What Next?
Now that you have discovered the best black dress shoes for men, check out some of our related guides to read more!
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