Shoes can make or break your outfits. Sometimes they can even change your entire vibe! Most guys don’t like the idea of dressing down with sneakers, so I’m giving you a great alternative: the boot.

Boots have been around for a long time. Contrary to popular belief, they weren’t always made for work; dress boots have been in use since the 1920’s. Think of those Balmoral ones. While dress boots exist, their basic design (wingtip, captoe, etc) restrict their use with a much more sartorial outfit. If you want to up your suit or business casual game, that’s the way to go. But today we’re talking about going casual. Much more casual.

When wearing jeans and a tee, most guys will resort to their worn out Vans or Nike’s. There’s nothing wrong with that, but it seems expected. We at Street x Sprezza want to do something classic and unexpected. That’s why we suggest to go with boots. They are middle ground between the casualness of a sneaker and the sharp, polished look of a dress shoe.

Now boots naturally look great with jeans. Whether you get your denim cuffed or stacked, boots will look killer. Most importantly, they’ll be a great change from the usual faire of sneakers and toms that most guys will wear. Boots with a casual outfit is the instant difference between taking pride in your appearance and being lazy. Let’s look at a few different casual looks from the guys with boots.

Adam

Since we’re about to go full El Niño here in SoCal, layers is definitely the way to go. Here Adam’s going relatively simple: oversized jacket, gingham shirt, crew neck tee, and jeans. It’s like 2015 meets 1993. Can’t you see how the boots set his outfit apart?

Now, places like Red Wings and Chippewa (the favoured pair that Spencer wears) have great boots, but if a $300 shoe isn’t in your budget, don’t sweat. Adam got these for Christmas at Target! He’s not going to go hiking with them, he’s just going to look extra fly going to class up in Nor Cal.

Banana Republic Jacket, Shirt from American Eagle, Tee from GAP

Jeans and boots from Target

Ethan

Lately, I’ve been digging the SLP aesthetic. You know the one; it’s mainly worn by Harry Styles. While I may not adhere to that look in its entirety, I still like to put my own take on it! Here, I have a pseudo-ulster coat, a nautical sweater, black jeans, and the needed Chelsea boot. A bit different than the typical SLP, but pretty sleek nonetheless.

You might be thinking to yourself, “boots are too much to put on. Wouldn’t a sneaker or slip on be much more comfortable?” Well, that’s why Chelsea boots exist. They don’t have all the latches and laces like a work boot! They’re pretty wholecut, with an elastic opening for easy foot insertion. With classic colors like brown and black, you can wear these guys with anything! I personally like the suede variation, since most boots in general are made of leather. Any texture on footwear will set you above the rest.

I just got these boots for Christmas and can already tell that these are going to be a welcome staple in my wardrobe. Even when summertime comes to shed our coats, these pieces will definitely work with a simple shirt and light jacket combo! Looks like in a few months we’re going to feature these bad boys again!

Coat from Kenneth Cole, Sweater from H&M, Jeans from Pacsun,

Suede Chelsea Boots from Banana Republic

Here’s some more casual booted looks from this past year! You can see the work boot and the essential Clark’s Desert boot in action. All of these pieces are extremely diverse and can be used in almost any outfit.