Slip-ons belong to a broad category of shoes.
Any pair of shoes that do not have laces or buckles can be called slip-on shoes. But this is a generic explanation, and it only adds to the confusion.
If you hate having to tie shoelaces after getting ready, but still want to appear professional – what shoes should you wear? Will slip-ons be okay?
Well, let’s find out!
The formality of slip-on shoes will vary as per their type and material. Leather Loafers, as well as Leather slip-ons without a moc toe are formal and can be worn in a professional setting. Other slip-on shoe types, like moccasins, boat shoes, espadrilles, and slip-on sneakers are more casual and should be worn only with casual outfits.
Here’s a list of slip-on shoe types, ranked from the most formal to the least
- Loafers
- Leather slip-ons without moc toe or apron toe
- Moccasins
- Boat shoes
- Espadrilles
There’s also some simple and awesome slip-on style advice ahead, so keep reading 😉
1) Loafers
Loafers are the most formal of all the slip-on shoes..
No, wait. Leather loafers are the most formal of all slip-on shoes.
That sounds better *grin*
If Leather were Godzilla and Suede were King Kong, Godzilla would always trump Kong in the ensuing battle of formality.
(Although I’m personally a Kong guy)
And what makes loafers so formal, you might ask? It’s because of their streamlined and clean silhouette – it works with the subtlety of formal outfits and is not jarring or out of place
By the way, loafers themselves are of various types as well: Penny Loafers, Tassel Loafers, Horsebit loafers, and Belgian Loafers. Among these, penny loafers are more formal than the others, but if you are to wear loafers with formal clothes, either of them will do the trick
What to wear loafers with:
- Suits (when the occasion is not very dressy)
- Chinos
- Dress pants
- Slim fit jeans (will look better with suede loafers)
- Shorts (suede loafers only)
What not to wear loafers with:
- A tuxedo (don’t even think about it)
As you can see, loafers are versatile. If you want a pair of slip-on shoes to wear to the office, these are your best bet
2) Leather slip-ons without moc-toe or apron-toe
These shoes are placed in a separate category in this list because they’re formal, yet not loafers.
A defining characteristic of loafers is the moc-toe or apron-toe, formed by a separate strip of leather stitched on the front of the shoe.
In contrast, these slip-ons don’t have that moc-toe / apron-toe – you could say that they look almost like an oxford shoe but without laces.
These shoes are just as appropriate as leather loafers for formal occasions. You can take any outfit with leather penny loafers, interchange them with these shoes and it will still look fine.
What to wear leather slip-ons with:
- Suits (when the occasion is not as dressy, or you are travelling and need to take off your shoes regularly)
- Chinos
- Dress pants
What not to wear leather slip-ons with:
- A tuxedo
- Jeans
- Shorts
3) Moccasins
Moccasins are the casual cousins of Loafers
Both of them share similar characteristics, with the moccasin toe and the decorations on the vamp (tassels, horsebit, etc)
But the biggest difference between the two is that loafers have a defined heel part, but moccasins don’t. Instead, moccasins, or mocs as they are generally called, have a thin flat sole that wraps around the ends of the upper
I actually have a handy post on the difference between loafers, moccasins and boat shoes. Check it out here
Unlike Loafers, Moccasins are casual shoes. They’ll look out-of-place if you wear them in a formal setting
What to wear moccasins with:
- Chinos (cuff them for extra style points!)
- Slim-fit Jeans
- Shorts
What not to wear moccasins with:
- A tuxedo (duh)
- Suits (duh + 1)
- Dress pants
4) Boat shoes
Boat shoes have laces, but they are unique because the run all around the back of the shoe
These are also the only shoes that are okay to wear pre-laced, and that’s exactly what makes them a part of this list.
Case in point: This guide by Sperry, that shows some fun ways to lace boat shoes
Speaking of formality, boat shoes are casual. Definitely not a pair of shoes you can wear to the office. The perfect occasion would be by the pool or even the beach. (It does have the word “boat” in the name, after all!)
What to wear boat shoes with:
- Jeans
- Shorts
What not to wear boat shoes with:
- A tuxedo (I think we understand this loud and clear by now)
- Suits
- Dress pants
- Chinos (it could work in some cases, but the style of boat shoes just feels overly casual for a pair of smart pants like chinos)
5) Espadrilles
Espadrilles have recently become my go-to summer shoes – They are coolmand comfortable!
Design-wise, they look like plain slip-ons – fabric upper, hardly any detailing, apart from the characteristic flat jute sole. This combination makes them very interesting to wear.
Besides, they aren’t as famous (yet) as some of the other slip-ons on this list. So if you want to set yourself apart, here’s your chance *wink wink*
Just like boat shoes, espadrilles are also a casual shoe style.
You can wear them to all the same places you would wear a boat shoe.
I also wear my espadrilles quite often while running errands on weekends
ProTip: When wearing Espadrilles, go sockless.
Yes, you heard that right – no socks. Not even no-show ones.
For these beauties, it works!
You can wear espadrilles with the same pants you’d wear with boat shoes
What to wear espadrilles with:
- Jeans (Rolled-up jeans look really cool with Espadrilles)
- Shorts
What not to wear espadrilles with:
- A tuxedo
- Suits
- Dress pants
- Chinos
6) Slip-on sneakers
Slip-on sneakers look just the way they sound – they are sneakers without laces!
I’m sure you’ve worn sneakers before.
So you also know that slip-on sneakers are casual shoes, and wearing them in a formal setting is not very nice…
….Unless you’re a rebel, go ahead then B-)
What to wear slip-on sneakers with:
- Suits (only if the sneakers are white, and you’re bold enough to pull off the sneaker + suit trend)
- Chinos (the overall tone of the outfit will still be casual)
- Jeans (Jeans and sneakers belong together!)
- Shorts
What not to wear slip-on sneakers with:
- A tuxedo (Dear Universe, please let this never become a thing)
- Dress pants
There you go!
I hope you’ll never be clueless about slip-on shoes ever again.
Still have questions? Hit me up, or post a comment!
