The best mens wedding shoes - for the big day and dancing the night away
Updated March 2023.
So mens wedding shoes should be smart, safe and blend into the background? Not any more. Times have changed.
I have to be honest. When I got married, it was another era. My bride was gorgeous and stunning so no-one was really looking at me. But now when I look back at the photos I just want to go back and get my trousers shortened 3 inches and change those shoes!
I don't what that to happen to you.
Yes, there was a time when the groom had to look smart, well turned out, but almost blend in and certainly not take any attention away from the bride. Black cap toe oxfords would do just fine, or there would be hunt in the wardrobe for those 'smart black shoes'.
Times and styles have changed and there are way more choices available to the stylish groom.
A lot of our customers buy shoes for special occasions, like their wedding day, and we always love to see their photos.
Here are a few, but we'll include more below.
Who is Thomas Bird?
If you're new to the brand, we established Thomas Bird to create a one stop collection of inspiring, beautiful and high quality shoes. Our shoes and boots are designed here in the UK and are all made in Italy by skilled craftsmen using the finest materials. We ship to stylish customers all over the world, including the ones in these photos. With Thomas Bird, you don't pay for a fancy luxury label, you just pay for excellent shoes. You can also check out our independent reviews at reviews.io.
Our favourite mens wedding shoes
So in this post, the team here at Thomas Bird have picked our favourite photos from those sent in or posted by our customers. We will update this from time to time, so if you are getting married soon, please send your in too.
We'll see that with the right mens wedding shoes the groom can really add to the style of the big day.
We will look at the different types of shoe. First up:
Classic, elegant and sleek - the black wholecut oxford
We've already said that the oxford was and still is a popular choice for mens wedding shoes, but a black wholecut oxford takes it to the next level.
Just look at this super cool photo from @shiner.bear - with the groom wearing Thomas Bird Benson black Benson wholecuts with a bow tie and DJ.
What an elegant and classy look. Timeless.
Our wholecut oxford is made from a single piece of high quality calf leather and takes real craftsmanship to make. There are no seams apart from a join at the back.
Wholecuts are sleek, elegant, with a beautiful silhouette. And there are more rare than other types of oxford so tend to get noticed. Paired with the right suit and some careful tailoring and you can get a fantastic look.
Here's a close up of our Benson black wholecut. It has a slightly chiselled toe and sweeping last.
Here's another example of our Benson black wholecut, this time paired with a black bow tie and white tux, worn by Ken Vaughn at his wedding to Annisha. Thanks for the photo @ken_vaughn_.
We think this is a very high end, formal and stylish look, and complements the bride beautifully.
The white tuxedo adds a bit of James Bond type glamour and style which is never a bad thing.
Wholecuts with colour and detail
The black wholecut is a great choice. But sometimes the groom will want the sleek wholecut look but also some colour and detail.
Of course this has to be carefully co-ordinated with the rest of the outfit (and maybe the partner's approval).
That's what our customer @roys_keith did here, combining Thomas Bird light tan Ellington wholecuts with a cream suit and blue socks. Ellington also has a punched toe design to add some interest and detail.
We think this especially works as the location is also special and colourful. With palm trees and a lake the whole thing is fabulous.
We asked the bride about how they co-ordinated their outfits.
Jeannette said:
"My husband has a really good eye for fashion. He showed me the shoes for the wedding and we agreed on the style and color. They were perfect for the occasion. My husband didn’t want to play it safe with black shoes on our wedding day either. We tend to coordinate our colors."
Here's a close up of Keith's Ellington wholecuts showing the punch toe medallion design.
We have other colour options for Ellington, light tan (as shown), aubergine and black. More details on Ellington. And you can look at the full range of wholecut colours.
Here's a photo from the wedding of Simon and Emily. Simon is wearing a pair of Thomas Bird Benson blue wholecuts complementing a beautiful green suit.. Thanks for the photo @friendpics and @thesmithsandco.
Monk straps add a bit of shine
We are big fans of the monk strap, in and particular the double buckle monk. The straps and shine from the buckles add visual interest to any outfit.
We have recently added a single buckle monk called Brooklyn. We haven't got any wedding photos of this style yet, but will add it in when we do,
We love this shot by @claracooperphoto who has captured that quiet, reflective moment as the groom gets ready for the wedding ceremony.
The groom has chosen Thomas Bird tan Bourne double buckle monk straps. The warmth of the tan beautifully matches the pale blue tones of the suit.
Here's another example, this time a lovely photo from @robparkinson23, with Rob and his bride Vicky looking so happy and putting on the style.
Rob has gone for Thomas Bird oxblood monk straps, the red tones going well with his tie, flower, and Vicky's bouquet. Oxblood adds pop and a splash of colour to light coloured and neutral tone suits.
We asked Rob about how he made his choice.
Rob told us:
"I really wanted to stand out and wear something a little different on my wedding day and I was so happy when I discovered Thomas Bird. I had a chat with Vicky about our colour scheme and the oxblood monk strap shoes fit perfectly! I absolutely loved wearing the shoes and they got lots of compliments on the big day!"
If you like the look, check out our monk strap collection to see all the colours available. Black is also a good choice and oxblood goes really well with darker blue suits.
You can also read more about monk straps on our blog.
Here is another example from the wedding day of Craig and Chipo. Craig is wearing Thomas Bird Bourne oxblood double buckle monkstraps, with a light grey suit. Thanks for the photo @craigacurran.
Liked the matching tie too, matching the brides dress.
We just had to include Craig's close up to show the suit, sock, shoe details. Men are really starting to get into these important details.
Penny Loafers - Italian vibes
Always a smart/casual favourite, the penny loafer is in a league on its own. Our Hampton Italian made loafer has classic Italian styling with a slightly chiselled toe and a hand dyed patina finish.
This photo from the wedding of Brad and Karita shows a beautiful and stylish contrast between Thomas Bird Hampton oxblood penny loafers and a light suit. Thanks for the great photos @dabolt91, @katitawall and photographer @dcj_luxuryweddings.
We had to include another photo from Brad's big day. what a superstar groom! We used the photo at the top of the post too, we liked it so much.
Can men wear boots at their wedding?
Hell yeh! Boots aren't just for cowboys.
We're seeing more of a trend for guys to wear smart, dress boots on their big day. Chelsea boots and zip boots are becoming popular choices.
We love this wedding photo from John and Kae. Kae has gone for Thomas Bird black Memphis zip boot with a fantastic sleek silhouette and slightly higher 40mm stacked leather heel. The higher heel gives a little of an elevator look.
Thanks for sharing this beautiful photo, @lillianlyonlove, @lushismulike_.
Turn up the colour - it's patina time
This is the place for individuals that have a strong sense of style and want to achieve something unique.
Again we have focused on wholecuts, but this time with the colour turned right up.
Imagine any of these Thomas Bird patina wholecuts being worn by the groom.
We love this beautiful photo taken by @linaandtom from Zara and Joe's wedding.
Joe looks fantastic in his Thomas Bird custom green patina wholecuts.
He has a strong sense of personality and individuality. The choice of colour shows this and the shoes become a definite part of the wedding.
But what did the bride think?
Zara told us:
"So glad I saved the patina post back in April to show Joe, his green patina were amazing, and he was so comfy the whole day. Everybody loved how fabulous the shoes are!"
If stronger colours are your thing, have a look at our custom patina collection. And contact us if you have another colour in mind.
Patent leather shoes
Can you get more of a wow factor or red carpet treatment than black patent leather shoes? Because we love wholecut shoes we decided to introduce a black patent wholecut called Mayfair. This has been so popular that we then added a black patent step in loafer, Kensington, just this year.
Here's a photo of @thesuitedtraveller wearing Mayfair wholecuts with a tailored blue double breasted suit.
In conclusion
These are currently our top choices from the photos that our customers have posted and sent to us.
Of course there are many more good choices. Wingtip, classic oxfords and brogues can contribute to a stunning look.
The point is that the rules have changed and grooms have many more choices available now. And about time we say.
So when you look at your wedding photos in years to come, make sure you can look at the shoes you were wearing and say 'oh yes, I got that right!'.
Your turn
Tell us what you think..
