'Wanna know if a guy is well dressed?', the legendary Esquire columnist George Frazier once asked himself. To answer his question himself with: 'Look down.' It is important to wear good shoes. But what is a good shoe? The choice used to be quite easy. The rule was that black lace-up shoes should be worn under a suit. Never wear brown to town, they traditionally said in The City, the financial heart of London. In this way, the English mainly tried to maintain class distinctions, because brown is a color associated with poor people. This certainly applied to brown shoes made of suede, a material that is also called reverse calf in England (suede is made from the inside of the skin).

Suede has never had that proletarian reputation in the Netherlands. Not in Italy either by the way. From that country comes a suede shoe that is perfect for wearing under your khakis chino (which you wear with a blue blazer) or the linen suit that you finally decide to purchase because the summers in the Netherlands are getting sunnier. The shape of this shoe is of course that of a slip-on, because slip-ons have an ideal combination of casual and chic. Slip-ons belong to summer, just like snow boots belong to winter. But this isn't a classic slip-on like one penny or tassle loafer, it is a slip-on shoe that is distinguished by the sole, which is light-colored and made of rubber. That rubber does wonders for your gait (it automatically makes you walk more lightly) and the light color gives your silhouette a sporty dimension, probably because we associate a light sole with sneakers (you undoubtedly remember the rule in your old gym: ' Forbidden for colored soles').

The material of the shoe is suede, to be precise, calfskin. That suede gives just a little more texture to your appearance, it looks a bit rougher than smooth leather. Both the Italian Santoni as Loro Piana include such a suede loafer in the collection. And here's the great thing: both brands also have a medium-high version. It tends towards the dessert boat, and perhaps even more like the classic, English Wallabee, but – leave that to the Italians – in a 'finer' version. It consists of two parts: a part in which you step, so to speak, and a part that forms the tongue. This gives the shoe a minimalist look, an important reason for its appeal. These are shoes that you can wear at the office and on the terrace. And I assure you that when asked 'What would you do if you were in my shoes', you would never get the answer that style icon Jules Deelder once gave: 'Buy new ones.' .

ps Also take a look at the care items for suede shoes , from the brand La Cordonnerie Anglaise. For a quick solution: that brush to clean your mushrooms also works great for a quick cleaning.