Your Guide to Matching Your Suspenders with Shoes

A question that frequently comes up is, “Should I match my suspenders with my shoes?” The short answer is: In some cases, yes, you should, and in other cases, it’s not necessary. As you can see, there are different fashion rules to follow when coordinating shoes with suspenders. Let’s take a moment to sort out when you should absolutely go for a matched look, and when strict adherence to matching isn’t required. Matching Black and Brown Leather There is a rule of thumb to follow when you’re opting to wear either all-leather suspenders or suspenders with leather ends (a.k.a. braces). And, the rule is that you should absolutely match your shoes with leather suspenders, or those leather ends. Most leather suspenders are either black or brown, so you must pair them with shoes that mirror both the color and the look and feel of real leather. This doesn’t mean you always have to wear real leather shoes, because some shoes are made of faux leather. It’s also not necessary to match colors perfectly. All you have to do is remember to wear black shoes with black leather suspenders and brown shoes with brown leather suspenders and you’ll be fine. Let’s say you decide to wear your dark blue suit with a lighter blue shirt and navy colored suspenders with brown leather ends. What’s a good shoe option? Any well-made leather dress shoe in a deep, rich brown will look polished and professional. What About Matching Clip Suspenders? Clip suspender styles are typically worn with business and casual outfits, and leather doesn’t usually come into the equation when wearing them. So, how do you handle shoe matching in this case? Well, you have a few good choices. If you plan on wearing suspenders in black or brown shades, you can choose to follow the rule for leather suspenders. Or, you can match your shoes with your pants or shirt and let the suspenders stand on their own. If you decide to match shoes with a clip suspender color, there’s no need to stick to leather shoes. It’s okay to wear those black sneakers with a pair of black elastic suspenders, for instance. Matching Alternative Suspender Colors Suspenders come in a wide range of fashionable colors and there may be times when you want to shake things up by matching shoes with colors that are not brown or black. That’s fine. However, when doing this, always consider whether your choice of shoes is tasteful and appropriate for the outfit and lifestyle setting. When wearing business attire, taste is of the utmost importance, but you can still look top-notch accessorizing in an alternative color such as burgundy. Here’s an idea. Pair a grey suit with a light blue shirt, dark grey tie, burgundy suspenders and a snazzy pair of burgundy dress shoes. Matching Pants and/or Shirt Color Instead of matching shoes to suspenders, you can opt to match them with either your pants or shirt color. Or, create a monochromatic look by matching shoes with pants and a shirt in the same color hues. For instance, you can look fresh and modern by pairing skinny black or dark brown suspenders with casual beige slacks, beige t-shirt or top and boat shoes in beige or tan. Here’s another cool casual look. Pair white suspenders with a black shirt, grey jeans (cuffs rolled) and black boots. These looks really make suspenders pop.