Q. I understand what business-casual means in terms of pants, shirts and even jackets, but I am confused about shoes/sneakers. Is there a hard and fast rule (like some places have about jeans) about whether sneakers are acceptable? I'd rather wear sneakers than loafers.
A. When it comes to dress codes, a lot depends on how progressive the company is, from head to toe. Some of the more traditional companies not only have a formalized dress code, but also have a specific list of items that are not acceptable. If you look at ESPN, you will often see the men wearing quite traditional clothing, from the ankles up, and then you'll notice a variety of trendy designer tennis shoes ... of course, that is a sports-oriented company, not unlike execs at the Dallas Cowboys' wearing Stetsons.
Even though I have long stated that most men's clothing is highly consistent and does not vary much from year to year, let alone from decade to decade, when it comes to current casual shoes, this is certainly no longer true. In the past, men's shoes could be categorized as dress shoes, casual shoes and sneakers. Nowadays, dress shoes remain pretty much what they have always been. However, where casual shoes used to mean three types of shoes -- slip-on loafers (which I believe is what you are wearing), deck shoes and moccasins -- now the category includes many more styles that encroach upon and cross over toward the sneaker category.
Interestingly, this new hybrid type of shoe encompasses a lot of variations, and does not really have a name. Some call it a casual-dress shoe. Some call it a designer sneaker. Some refer to it as a walking shoe. The best term I have heard is "smart casual."
In this shoe category: Some of them have hiking-boot type bottoms that have been put on sneakers; some have tennis-shoe type bottoms with a more formal leather top.
The way to begin to answer the question in your case is to determine the corporate culture at your place of business. What is the accepted dress code? Because all casual clothing is not suitable for the office, these guidelines will help you determine what is appropriate to wear to work. Clothes that work well for the beach, yard work, dance clubs, exercise sessions and sports contests are certainly not appropriate for a professional appearance at work. This much is a given. But many more subtleties are involved, and you cannot, and should not, try to guess what these are. The simplest procedure is to ask the human resources department if your company has a specific, spelled-out dress code. If it is in written form, so much the better. If it is not, you must determine how all-encompassing it is.
If your work environment leans toward the more traditional, its idea of business casual may be more formal than others'. The question is "How casual is casual?" If, for example, your office permits jeans (which many do not), you still must determine what type of jeans are acceptable. There is a big difference between pressed designer jeans, regular jeans and ripped jeans. A company that accepts one of these would be different from a company that is only comfortable with the others. Be sure you understand the difference. And, if you don't, ask someone who does.
Some companies are making hybrid sneakers that are wildly expensive. Many are in the $400 to $600 range and up. Tom Ford's designs cost $1,000, and those from Lanvin are $695. They have elegant colored (often dark brown or black) leather uppers with some variety of rubber sneaker-type soles. These new casual shoes are not shoes that you would wear to the gym.
Loafers, deck-type shoes, conservative athletic or walking shoes, boots and most of these new smart-casual hybrid styles are generally acceptable for a business-casual work setting. Flashy athletic shoes, flip-flops, slippers and any open-toe shoes are not acceptable in the office.
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High Profile on 01/29/2017