Even though I’m almost always in some form of brown or black shoe, I’ve always had an appreciation for white shoes or rather specifically, white bucks. I get a hankering for them when the weather gets warmer and my inspo sources trade flannels and sweater vests to open shirts and light colored suits. White shoes, be they skin leather or suede or plain or brogued, start to rear their beautiful heads and for a while I was relegated to simply admiring them from afar. Looking back, it really is interesting why I never decided to own them until now.
Of course I know why. White bucks (and white dress shoes in general) are indeed an oddity. In terms of “shoe color theory”, they immediately contrast and stand out rather than serve as an anchor to an outfit (which is how I often use my shoes). In terms of versatility, black or brown shoes are much easier to wear and can obviously be worn across any season, hot or cold. And even if you decide to embrace their bold presence, it can be a hassle to keep them pristine; after all, their very allure is their clean nature. But as I’ve said before, picking the “right” shoe is more than just about color. It’s about what each shoe expresses.
And the thing about white bucks and white shoes is that they are filled with so much context that it can be tough to shake their coded roots. They just scream summer. But for me, that’s entirely the reason to wear them. Because when you’ve finally started to embrace your summer attire, white bucks just make sense.
I don’t think I need to tell you the history of white shoes. All that matters is that white shoes, specifically white (suede) bucks, were considered the summer shoe for decades. Countless illustrations, advertisements, movie stars and musicians wore some form of white shoe in the warmer seasons. Like most things, this may be rooted in military history, as white bucks were quite similar to the shoes worn with naval dress uniforms; they are also a little similar to the deck shoe.
In any case, the white buck (which is probably the best form of a white dress shoe) was king. Their texture and slightly off-white color echoes the ease that summer, which translated instantly to your outfit. While some levels of formality differed, as white bucks can be found as a derby or an oxford, the idea is the same: this was a summer shoe. Their fully white upper and red sole also set them apart from other white-heavy shoes like two-toned spectators and saddle shoes. And personally, I like bucks more due to their unabashed use of solid white— it almost makes them easier to wear. After all, they are not meant to be a formal shoe and that’s their strength.
Just like white tailoring, white shoes were considered casual. It seems intentional for them to contrast against dark browns, blues, and greys; it was all meant to separate “sportswear” from business or formal wear. As a result, they were the proper thing to wear with your Palm Beach tailoring, where you wanted to signal just how casual you were (of course this is an outdated notion now).
Obviously, white shoes weren’t only worn with white suits. You can see many examples of people wearing rather traditional combos (be they with a suit and tie or casually) but with a white buck injected in for good measure, signaling that they were off duty. One of my favorite photos of all time is of Jimmy Stewart wearing a houndstooth tweed jacket (with peak lapels), dark trousers, and white bucks. It goes against “convention” for a white shoe, but that’s just it. They inject a fun, summery vibe into whatever fit they’re worn with, white suit or not!
To be clear, I’m not really saying anything new here. In fact, this whole blog post is really rather banal!
All of menswear knows the joy of white shoes. I’m just very late to them, which is why I’m going to include a few articles and inspo photos at the close of this blog post to show just that. David Coggins and Simon Crompton have embraced the preppy fun of white shoes; others have shouted out Serge Gainsbourg or other 60s/70s inspo where white shoes feels more sleazy-dandy than wholesome ivy. But of course, ivy is the main wellspring for white buck inspo.
I’ve noticed that Matt Woodruff of J. Mueser often wears a pair of J.M Weston loafers in white (not sure if they are suede or not) to great effect with his 60s/70s-esque approach to minimal tailoring. There’s also my boy John, who thrifted a pair of white oxfords when he visited me a while back and immediately wore them with white shorts and a jungle jacket, emphasizing the two poles of rugged ivy. I think both of these guys would say that a white shoe is just fun to wear, providing a respite against black and brown leather. And of course, Acute Style whose ivy-prep attire has been a great inspiration over the years. He wears white bucks a lot and I’m sure the constant exposure therapy helped me see that I too can wear them.
So just as the case was with Paraboots, I’ve just built inspo on white shoes for years, waiting for it to come to a head and erupt where I can’t imagine not having them. That moment was very recently. But to be clear, this isn’t about being a collector or the fact that ivy-prep is in its zeitgeist moment.
This really is about me finally embracing the summer season and dressing in service of it. I want to fully send summer instead of spend my days eagerly awaiting fall. It’s a new mood for me. And so as I have this vigor for summer dressing, it makes sense for me to get a shoe that also has that same attitude.
Not only was my attitude in the right place for white bucks, but so too was my shoe wardrobe. At this point, I’d already spent a few years building up my main footwear rotation of well made loafers (penny, tassel, and horsebit), as well as a few foundational novelties that simply arose at the right time (Paraboots and fisherman sandals). If this was earlier in my tenure, I would have simply saved the money for a proper trad footwear. But I own them now (and wear them quite a bit). I was ready to buck.
What’s funny is that I was allowed a “training” period for white bucks. Almost two years ago, I was at my local J .Crew with my friend Joseph (teaching him the glory of high waisted pants) when I found a heavily discounted pair of white suede bucks in a penny loafer variation (most likely an online return). They were vaguely my size and only $20, so I copped them. [To be clear, I had always entertained white bucks or even white skin leather shoes during bouts at fleas but I was never successful.]
I actually wore them pretty often across summer and rockabilly-ish looks. I even did it once with flares! I liked that the suede got dirty, turning them into an off-white or light-oatmeal shade; the red sole also faded quite a bit as well which made it easier to wear. But I soon realize that they just weren’t right. Not only was the size not quite there (even with an insole), but I just didn’t like the shape. The last was a bit bulbous and the toe spring was a bit distracting, making them look a little “immature” if that made sense. For me, even if a white buck was fun, it still had a sense of gravitas or at least less toe spring.
That being said, I still wore the buck pennys quite regularly because I liked the idea of wearing white suede shoes with my summer fits. I tried taking a break from them and instead, my deck shoes instead. But since they were sneakers after all, it felt weird to pair them with a tie or full suit, despite their closed lacing nature being quite close to a white buck oxford.
So I kept wearing the buck pennys. I was sold on the look now. This was not a trend or an experiment— this was now canonized into Ethan Style. They were so ingrained into what was considered my spring/summer look that I knew that I’d have to try and upgrade them some day. But if I did, would I do buck pennys again? Or would I go for the traditional blucher?
The lace-up white shoe is an interesting move. It is the traditional choice but menswear logic would probably lean toward a white loafer simply for ease and versatility. A loafer is inherently slouchy and can therefore be done up in fun colors (keep it suede) and materials; I’d rather have a lizard belgian slipper-loafer than a lizard oxford. But the buck just made more sense to me as a lace-up. And if I found one, it would be one of the very few non loafer (and non-sneaker) lace-ups in my closet.
And that’s what I did. I stumbled across a pair of deadstock Polo RL MiUSA bucks on eBay for about $120. They seemed like the best choice out of any offering I’d seen on the second hand market, as most white bucks weren’t even white or were from some DSW-esque brand. There was a pair of Peal & Co buck wingtip oxfords, but I felt like those might have been a bit too extra, especially if I was aiming to wear my white shoes with shorts. If I stumbled across them in the wild for under $100 I might have bought them, but I wasn’t going to do it for $300. The real temptress was the Alden x Brogue white buck plain toe oxford, but I wasn’t sure if I wanted to spend full price Alden money on this. The Polo RL bucks were the move.
Of course if you follow me on Tiktok or IG, you may have seen how they immediately fell apart after wearing them– the uppers came right off the sole. I knew that most bucks were glued or at least cheaply made and these were certainly the case; Alex Winchell of the Armoury reminded me that not all MiUSA RL is good. In the end, I had to get them glued a few times at my local cobbler in order to wear them. But I’m glad I did because they really have become the shoe of Ethan’s summer and I’ve certainly worn them accordingly.
I don’t need to dive into every specific fit, simply because they speak for themselves. Most of the outfits are me leaning fully into the preppy or vintage summer vibe. You might even say that it’s unlocked this side of me, as the shoes help me express that POV more than if I wore cordovan or faded brown suede shoes. I get to firmly be preppy or sporty now more than ever before, helping me lean into my yellow chinos, white shorts, madras jackets, and chambrays. It just makes more sense to do it that way than just pairing it with a tee and jeans (though that’s also kind of a vibe). Maybe I’ve found the confidence to full-send things!
They’re inherently a cheeky shoe. In the modern day, white bucks almost masquerade as a white sneaker, providing a similar pop of color and perceived ease, all while having the same shape and construction as a dress shoe. In that way, white bucks are primed to assist in a myriad of expressions all while still projecting fun and summer.
That’s why it has also been fun to simply wear it with my “normal” attire. The bucks simply take it from a season-agnostic vibe to something decidedly summery and fun, even if the outfit isn’t necessarily in that vein. In some cases, it replaces a sneaker, adding a bit of perceived sophistication to a rumply pair of khakis or shorts. Much like how a cowboy boot sends a nod to the west, a white buck shows that I’ve got ivy-prep and summer on the mind. That’s the power of white shoes!
But of course, they’re also just the perfect shoe for a white suit. While nothing is wrong with a black or brown shoes with a white suit (brown suede is especially nice), they can sometimes feel like too much contrast. Sometimes that effect is good, especially if you want to use footwear to ground the white suit,. But at a certain point, I wanted to do something different. I wanted something a bit more tonal, like when I wear my brown shoes with brown suits or black shoes with navy (or chocolate brown). Bucks help achieve that goal. Their texture and color (which should be well worn and a little dirty) make a nice transition between the shoe and a white or cream trouser. And so having white bucks helps me get even more excited to wear my white suit and pants. They just make the most sense!
I know I cautioned you earlier against thinking of these as just a “shoe but white” but that actually might be the key in wearing them. The effect comes after or as a result of you wearing it. You become extra. And as someone who is pretty extra, much to many people’s chagrin, its something I’ve certainly leaned into more with these shoes. Despite them being very preppy (and even WASP coded), they feel so natural to my existing style, almost helping me say that anyone, including an Asian American from (and currently in) the SGV can get a little preppy! Once upon a time, these shoes were a bit intimidating but I’m glad that they’ve been such a welcome part of my wardrobe. Just look at how many outfits I’ve worn them in already!
All that aside, it’s clear that white shoes (and white bucks) simply embody summer leisure and fun. It’s not that other shoes aren’t but that white shoes just do it better!. They are an alternative to looking summery than just going sockless with loafers (which I often go back-and-forth on) or without the half-assed move of snuff suede (which is the #menswear darling). They also are an invitation to be more than just “traditional” with black and brown shoes. Instead, white shoes invite you to have a full-send summer and promise to be your comrade in that endeavor.
With everything in fashion being about coding and expression, wearing white shoes is a way to firmly plant your feet in the warm weather instead of simply counting down the days until you could wear flannel again. White shoes help you remember that summer menswear affords you as much fun and expressive opportunities as any other season. And even if your outfit isn’t super preppy or summer coded, it will feel like it is thanks to your white shoes.
Though of course, I also just like wearing them with a white suit. That’s their proper place!
– End of blog post –
NOTE: I know a lot of this was more about white bucks than white shoes in general, but I’m counting all of it here: white calfskin, white pebble grain, etc. The idea is the same! If I found proper white shoes in my size on eBay, I probably would have written about that instead of the bucks. But I am glad I got the suede bucks since they’re the most traditional. Funny how that works out!
Recommended Reading
- A great guide to white bucks from MFA (12 years old!)
- A great article on the history of white bucks written by a vintage collector
- Simon came around to white bucks a while ago!
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Always a pleasure,
Ethan M. Wong (follow me on IG)
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