If you thought shoes were a woman’s department, you clearly have a lot to learn. The way a man speaks defines him but his shoes simply talk about his style, which plays an essential role. In case you still don’t get the point, a man’s shoes are the best way to understand if he understands the alphabet of styling. You might think you have those couple of shoes that can go with everything but wait till we tell you how you totally need an upgrade.

For instance, if you are planning to hit a club, your favorite flip flops are a big no-no, because your hairy toes are the last thing people want to check out.  So, if you were planning to do so, we have a strict warning for you.  Just stick around and we will tell you about the must have shoes in your closet. 

1. The White Sneakers

Nothing injects instant chill into a jeans-and-jacket combo like a pair of coke whites. Just make sure that you keep these babies squeaky clean–nothing’s more off-putting that grimy ones. You’d be surprised at the magic a touch of whitening toothpaste and old brush can do.

2. The Statement Sneakers

A pair of eye-grabbers is just as important than a pair of clean slates because they can pick up an unimaginative outfit all by themselves. There’s no vanilla t-shirt or dirt-colored chinos that these bad boys can’t rescue.

3. The Brogues

With roots in the Norse word ‘brók’ (leg covering), a pair of these can class up your vibe faster than a Kensington accent. You could always experiment with hues, but a rich chocolate brown or tan bodes best in terms of versatility.

4. The Boots

When the frost begins to bite (or, if you’re on the coast, the weather drops below 25°), there’s no substitute for a pair of smart, stylish boots. They are essentially the Parmesan of the shoe universe–they go with almost anything.

5. The Hiking Shoes

There ain’t nothing as reliable as a pair of truly solid, every weather hiking boots–and to not have a pair is shoe sacrilege. Don’t only bust these out on adventure holidays–these are also great for a day that entails too much walking for those pretty brogues to bear.

 6. The Blucher

A sharp pair of these have been a closet staple since Gene Kelly clicked his chocolate brown ones together in Singing In The Rain–and well before, too. Formal, with just that hint of suave that keeps you from crossing over into stuffy.

7. The Sliders

As well-intentioned as many of the other shoes on this list might be, nothing will take top spot on the list of holiday shoes from sliders. While flip-flops can border on clumsy (though not always) sliders are easy, relaxed and breathable with a better sense of decorum.