https://twitter.com/dieworkwear/status/1831680414936920549
Here are two nearly identical outfits: navy suit with a white shirt and mid-blue tie. The only difference is the color of their shoes. Which do you think looks better? Please decide before opening this thread.
To me, JD Vance looks better because the outfit supports him. Your eyes are drawn upwards towards his face.
Charlie Kirk, meanwhile, has created two competing focal points: his face and his shoes. Your eyes keep darting down to his feet because of the brightness of his shoes.
The effect is mitigated once we switch his shoes to dark brown (also a fine choice for a navy suit). Vance is still better dressed because his shoes are nice while Kirk’s shoes are ugly. Unfortunately, I’m not skilled enough at Photoshop to change this disparity.
Tan shoes require light colored suits or sport coats (pics 1 and 2). In this way, the outfit is not so different than a dark suit worn with dark shoes, but just made a few shades lighter. They can also work if the outfit looks sufficiently summery (pic 3).
Personally, I think they’re also easier to wear when they have cooler undertones (pic 1), rather than warmer undertones (pic 2). Once tan shoes have too much red in them, they can clash with the cool colors that make up the majority of men’s wardrobes (e.g., grey trousers).
It’s once again worth stressing that this logic only applies to traditional tailored outfits, where the focus should be on the v-shaped section formed by your shirt, jacket, and tie. Other aesthetics, such as Westernwear, follow their own logic. These are nice:
But to me, it’s striking how much better one person looks because of such a simple choice. Vance’s outfit is great because he went with black leather dress shoes. Whereas Kirk’s outfit, due to the color and puffy shape of his dress sneakers, makes him look a bit like Donald Duck.
For people asking about why you can wear dark brown shoes with a navy suit, here is a thread. IMO, if you’re an American who’s against this combination, you are a traitor to your country. It’s a classic American look.