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GQ Recommends
Be the cowboy boots you want to see in the boardroom.
By Avidan Grossman, Jake Woolf, and Michella Oré
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 dress shoes gathering dust in the back of your closet and the tattered sneakers 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 traumatizing memories of rigid dress codes from years past. (Think western boots, not wingtips.)
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 it's "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.
The Best Business Casual Shoes Shopping Guide
- The Best for Long, Hard Days: Kleman "Padror" derby shoes, $250 (now $200)
- The Best for Presentation Day: G.H. Bass & Co. "Larson "Weejuns Loafers, $175
- The Best for Summer Fridays: Nisolo "Alejandro" woven slip-on, $190
- The Best for Team Happy Hour: Fear of God "Eternal" Leather Chelsea Boots, $903
- The Best for the Annual Off-Site: Stepney Workers Club "Dellow" Leather Sneakers, $89
And FYI: What you're not going to see here is a bunch of tech-y, performance-oriented sneaker options from Nike and Adidas—though if your workplace is okay with you rocking those, more power to you. Regardless of how formal you're coming, the best business casual shoes for men will help ease your return-to-office concerns. (Of the stylistic sort, anyway.) Here are 19 we're really feeling right now.
Watch The GQ Recommends Show: The Best Loafers for Every Budget
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1/19
Kleman "Padror" derby shoes
Classic-leaning work shoes for when the rigors at sitting at your desk all day demand a little added brawn.
2/19
Acne Studios derby shoes
Your grandma will ask if you had to “pay more” for the scuff marks, and these'll still be worth every damn cent.
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6/19
Stepney Workers Club "Dellow" leather sneakers
Bang-up leather sneakers for under 100 bucks? [Wipes away a single, solitary tear] Gets us every time.
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7/19
R.M. Williams Chelsea boots
Chelsea boots that will anchor your most casual looks as effortlessly as they will your sleekest tailoring.
8/19
Paraboot "Michael" shoes
Cosigned many times over by Tyler, the Creator, the only cosignee you should ever really need.
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9/19
Dr. Martens 1461 oxford shoes
When it comes to filling our seasonal footwear prescription, we trust one physician and one physician only: the good Dr. Martens.
10/19
Blundstone Super 550 boots
All-purpose shoes that only look better caked in layers of dried mud—but will also clean up real nice when you need 'em to.
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11/19
Dries Van Noten leather zip-up boots
Black boots + blue jeans = the foundation of just about every dressy-ish fit you could ever imagine.
12/19
Maison Margiela "Replica" sneakers
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.
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13/19
Morjas chelsea boots
New-gen Chelsea boots from one of the premier practitioners of the form.
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15/19
Birkenstock "Boston" suede clog
Birkenstock makes plenty of low-key alternatives worth your dollars, but the Boston remains the internet's favorite slide for a reason.
16/19
Yogi "Caden" shoe
If your job description involves any allusion towards easy livin', don't over think it—just buy these.
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17/19
Fear of God "Eternal" Leather Chelsea Boots
Jerry Lorenzo's ultra-slick Chelsea boots look just as good with razor-sharp suits as they do jeans and a breezy button-up.
18/19
Prada "Americas Cup" Leather Trainer Sneakers
Most designer sneakers aren't worth the added premium. Prada's iconic America's Cup kicks aren't most designer sneakers.
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19/19
Nisolo "Alejandro" woven slip-on
If huaraches feel little too casual, these tightly-woven slides are the salve.
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