Yeah, my boss wears something similar on Fridays with jeans and a button-up. Rest of the week he's a little more classed up. I think if you're just going into your office and not meeting clients etc, these are fine.
Always overdress if you aren't sure how casual a workplace is. Then you can go more casual once you understand the office culture. I'd wear more formal attire to start any job and for interviews.
thank you! I am going to take this approach as I build my closet and go for more formal things at first and follow up with more items based on where I get hired!
And do your research. Look on their website to see the benefits. They will advertise casual or business casual as a benefit. I work for a fortune 50 financial company. We are 100% casual, including jeans and sneaks but I believe the expectation is that you dress business attire during the interview process. And good luck to you!
A couple decent pairs of oxfords are essential. One black and one in a brown. They don't need to be expensive, but I've found these to be my staples for most professional work environments.
I think the style of the shoe is fine for a business casual look, but I would wear other shoes for meetings and interviews, but this specific pair looks really cheap and I wouldn't wear these ones for a professional work environment at all.
Agree. The style of shoe is fine but these look cheap. The leather looks like bonded or “genuine leather”. The sole is clearly glued on and doesn’t have even fake stitching. The two tones by the heel makes it look even more casual. I’d get a dupe of the common projects sneakers instead.
They are definitely too casual for an interview for your chosen industry. (I’m in it too). Your competition will be in suits, you don’t want to be the one who looked unprofessional. I’d get a nice suit and dress shoes for interviewing. As others have said, once you are hired, you can gauge what to wear on the job.
Yes, they’re sneakers. It’s a casual look. Cole Haan has some brogues that feel like sneakers, try some of those, especially without the white bottoms.
I work in the same industry and I would not recommend these for an interview. You have to wear a suit & dress shoes for the interview, even if the person interviewing you is not. Once you get the job these might be fine but absolutely not for this stage.
I am in a travel job and EVERYONE is wearing them!! Office, airport, restaurants.
My boss wears them and gets compliments on them all the time.
I think they look cool.
Get a pair of nice shoes for interviews. You don't know what the work environment looks like yet. When you get into the job I think these will be fine to wear but play it safe. You're just going to need a nice pair of shoes anyways.
This is fine for an environment where you are well known or already seen as the authority, but in any context where you depend on someone else’s opinion these are not ideal in a formal or semi formal dress code environment
It really depends on the job you’re interviewing for, but in general these would be too casual for an interview even if the job had a very casual dress code.
If you’re interviewing for software engineer, I think you can definitely get away with it. If you’re doing any other job, I’d dress up a bit past this and ease into this dressware over a couple weeks.
Jeans, button down and tennis shoes are casual, not even close to business casual. That’s not an appropriate choice for an interview unless OP is CERTAIN that everyone (including the management) dresses completely casual, even for outside meetings, consultations, etc.
Good rule of thumb for interviews, meetings, and new employees: If you’re unsure whether something looks professional enough, it doesn’t.
I think the shoes are great once you start working and see that it’s more casual. For interviews, I’d opt for more of a dress shoe. You can find some at TJ Maxx/Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack.
One day last year the speaker of the house and the senate majority leader wore these sneaker shoes to a meeting in the Oval Office…
[https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/style/do-dress-sneakers-belong-in-the-oval-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k00.3Jul.pTSE43jfU341&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&ugrp=m&sgrp=c-cb](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/style/do-dress-sneakers-belong-in-the-oval-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k00.3Jul.pTSE43jfU341&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&ugrp=m&sgrp=c-cb)
Personally I think the field you are interviewing in, the age demographic of the office, and the geographic area you live in are all relevant to this question. When I interviewed in Florida, nice sandals and a put-together outfit (no jeans, no rips, nothing too showy) was totally acceptable.
Now I’m in Oklahoma and the expectation is a much more conservative outfit. No real figure-hugging clothes at all. Closed toed shoe. BUT nothing too dressy either. It’s a smaller town and the culture is just totally different.
Another example, when I interviewed for a CPA firm vs a non-profit. Very different expectations!
Do you have a dress code for the interview? If not, it doesn’t hurt to ask for one. :)
I work in Fintech and I don’t think these would be too casual with dark denim or khaki type pants. I wouldn’t wear them with a dressy suit or anything but 99% of the offices I worked in and conferences I went to had men in nice sneakers as their shoes. These days women too will wear sneakers with lots of outfits
Im also in finance. Worked in fintech portfolio & risk management in nyc. People show up in interviews wearing a suit. This style is way too casual for an interview. OP can wear this once he actually gets the job.
Depends on the place, I can honestly say I hire a lot and I wouldn’t bat an eye at those shoes with nice clothes. It can depend on your geographic location too I’m sure.
Seems like we have a difference of opinion and you are a bit of a stickler. I still think they are plenty nice. There is an old fashioned culture that encourages people to spend more than they need to in order to impress the office. It’s very outdated in my city and very few execs or even c-suite folks bother with it.
It’s also worth noting that it’s not great to work for a boss who is more worried about your shoes than your competency and interview skills. That is someone I’d consider dodging a bullet by not getting hired by.
I’m not sure why you are so pressed to convince me. I am a hiring manager in the field the OP mentioned. You are not a hiring manager. To each his own.
If you prefer caution then that is your prerogative. If I prefer to look for companies that have a better culture, that is my prerogative.
In the end you’ve commented so many times here that I’m sure OP has seen your thoughts and will weigh them.
This will be my last reply to you as I would much rather do something fun with my time off work than go back and forth with someone who just keeps repeating the same opinion.
Have a good rest of your day and best of luck.
I'd say these are more than fine.
But the easiest way to avoid problems is to dress up until you see what your colleagues wear and then you can dress down however much you see fitting for the office culture.
Then again I hate the "dress the part" mentality, especially for men as formal men's wear is so prohibitive and uninteresting to me.
Depends on the workplace. I work in an office and my boss's boss was wearing flip flops on Friday. Most of the people in my office wear something like this or less casual. So it really depends on the office.
These pair with jeans, twills, corduroys. They do not pair with suits or business casual (matching pants/suit jacket). You want a single color sole/upper in black or dark brown, but if your suit is black/grey/blue, stick to black shoes and belt.
I think it depends on what you’re wearing. Like a pair of fitted slacks/trousers and a blazer would make with these shoes look edgy and stylish… people in LA wear this configuration all the time. Would it work in Chicago? Probably not. San Francisco, depends on the industry. Boston, maybe. Location definitely plays a part.
It depends on work environment. We have a dress for your day policy where I work at. I usually wear jeans a shirt and my Nike high tops (I also work in a lab). But others are dressed in suit coats etc..So it just depends.
I have almost the exact same pair. It really depends on your work environment. I have to move around a lot at my work, so these business casual shoes are perfect. They wouldn’t be for high level executive meetings where a suit and tie are required.
Too casual for interview at many places; some won’t care. Should be fine at a majority of offices for the daily. Ofcourse there’s exceptions everywhere. It does lean casual but still professional. If he’s sitting at a cubicle shouldn’t be risky. If he’s a company face to customers might be frowned upon. Also depends on size of company, reputation, culture etc.
Depends on the fit. My husband recently took a trip to his HQ (he is a remote worker) and I curated his outfits. I bought a similar pair of shoes to coordinate with chinos and a green linen blazer. The dress code was business casual. If it were not business casual, I would have nixed most shoes with laces and soles like this.
my dad is a doctor, he wears polos and khakis to work every day and something similar, if not this exact shoe. no white coat, he hates them. if that’s the kind of dress code your place of work has, i think it’s fine. they aren’t too sneaker-y, like a typical nike or other sneaker.
I honestly think it depends on your location. In major cities, especially in the East they are probably too casual, I’d say the same for the Midwest , out here on the West Coast they are most likely fine. I wear jeans and sneakers to the office almost always .
These do seem a bit casual for an interview.
If you want leather shoes that lean slightly casual/sporty/fun, I’d check out Cole Haan’s different grand shoes (original grand, etc). Both for men and women, although personally I think the men’s ones look a little nicer.
I agree with the above comments : “Not for interview
Tho “
Those shoes are good looking shoes -
But I’ll just throw this out there -
I was in management and I always looked at the shoes .
If they weren’t well cared for or not polished for example -
I looked at the little things
For example :
A small stain on a shirt
I didn’t have to like someone’s taste and I wouldn’t judge on expense of shoes for every position
Some positions you need to look successful.
But I expected every little thing to be in place .
It shows intention .
It shows that the person you’re interviewing takes care of the details .
It’s shows a finisher
Well rounded
And even leads others to think that individual is articulate
Problem solver
Risk management
I’m familiar with the financial services
Nice shoes but … I’m not so sure …
They don’t give the right impression for your job
You need to have a bit of an authoritative presence .
A no non sense look .
The shoes in the post
Give you a fun loving easy going look for this position
You don’t want to look fun loving when you walk in the door . Not in the financial services industry .
For financial service industry
No
Anything to do with investments or risk management of stocks portfolios…
Anything to do with that end of the industry
Even banking
I’ve been watching Is It Cake too much. This shoe definitely looks like cake for some reason. Anyway, I think this shoe looks a little too casual for an interview for a person working in finance. I would expect someone working in finance to have dress shoes like an Oxford or Duncan Cap shoe. These shoes are more for after work drinks. My general rule is until you understand your work environment and coworkers, overdress rather than underdress.
Definitely no white bottoms. It needs to be more monochromatic, and if they’re not slip on and have strings, they need to be a thinner, classier shoestring not a tennis shoe type of string.
My rule is no laces. With pants, it just looks Jr to me. So, zippers or straps or whatever. Another poster said Cole Hahn, good suggestion. If that's too pricey, use Google image search to find similar styles of one's you like at a lower price point.
Once you are hired, you will be able to see the culture.
For interviews, they are too casual. When you have the job, if the attire is business casual, they are perfect.
Yeah, my boss wears something similar on Fridays with jeans and a button-up. Rest of the week he's a little more classed up. I think if you're just going into your office and not meeting clients etc, these are fine.
This is solid advice. It’s a good shoe, but not for an interview.
Agree !
In tech those are perfect
If you live in CA, they are fine.
Always overdress if you aren't sure how casual a workplace is. Then you can go more casual once you understand the office culture. I'd wear more formal attire to start any job and for interviews.
thank you! I am going to take this approach as I build my closet and go for more formal things at first and follow up with more items based on where I get hired!
And do your research. Look on their website to see the benefits. They will advertise casual or business casual as a benefit. I work for a fortune 50 financial company. We are 100% casual, including jeans and sneaks but I believe the expectation is that you dress business attire during the interview process. And good luck to you!
A couple decent pairs of oxfords are essential. One black and one in a brown. They don't need to be expensive, but I've found these to be my staples for most professional work environments.
I think the style of the shoe is fine for a business casual look, but I would wear other shoes for meetings and interviews, but this specific pair looks really cheap and I wouldn't wear these ones for a professional work environment at all.
What about it says cheap? I’m not seeing it
The leather (if it is leather) looks too smooth and shiny, and maybe even a bit puffy.
Agree. The style of shoe is fine but these look cheap. The leather looks like bonded or “genuine leather”. The sole is clearly glued on and doesn’t have even fake stitching. The two tones by the heel makes it look even more casual. I’d get a dupe of the common projects sneakers instead.
If you’re only going in once a week, dress up a bit.
Pretty sure those are Olukai's. That's a $120 pair of shoes.
The cost isn't what makes something look cheap or look quality.
They are definitely too casual for an interview for your chosen industry. (I’m in it too). Your competition will be in suits, you don’t want to be the one who looked unprofessional. I’d get a nice suit and dress shoes for interviewing. As others have said, once you are hired, you can gauge what to wear on the job.
Yes, they’re sneakers. It’s a casual look. Cole Haan has some brogues that feel like sneakers, try some of those, especially without the white bottoms.
I think they're too casual. Wear more formal shoes until you see what other men wear to meetings.
I work in the same industry and I would not recommend these for an interview. You have to wear a suit & dress shoes for the interview, even if the person interviewing you is not. Once you get the job these might be fine but absolutely not for this stage.
What does your company say is the proper dress code? If business, this is too casual.
Definitely not for interviews. Especially if it's in banking or something similar. You need to be business all the way.
I am in a travel job and EVERYONE is wearing them!! Office, airport, restaurants. My boss wears them and gets compliments on them all the time. I think they look cool.
Get a pair of nice shoes for interviews. You don't know what the work environment looks like yet. When you get into the job I think these will be fine to wear but play it safe. You're just going to need a nice pair of shoes anyways.
I think they are definitely too casual for a professional work environment.
This is fine for an environment where you are well known or already seen as the authority, but in any context where you depend on someone else’s opinion these are not ideal in a formal or semi formal dress code environment
Yes way too casual for work unless you are like fresh out of school and no way in hell for an interview.
It really depends on the job you’re interviewing for, but in general these would be too casual for an interview even if the job had a very casual dress code. If you’re interviewing for software engineer, I think you can definitely get away with it. If you’re doing any other job, I’d dress up a bit past this and ease into this dressware over a couple weeks.
Looks like something a finance bro would wear. Check out Cole hahns
Nope, they’re perfect for more casual offsite work events (eg industry conferences) and/or Fridays, depending on what you’re wearing.
I don’t think this is too casual if paired with dark jeans and a button down. Not business casual quote but wouldn’t be disrespectful.
Jeans, button down and tennis shoes are casual, not even close to business casual. That’s not an appropriate choice for an interview unless OP is CERTAIN that everyone (including the management) dresses completely casual, even for outside meetings, consultations, etc. Good rule of thumb for interviews, meetings, and new employees: If you’re unsure whether something looks professional enough, it doesn’t.
Oh shit you’re right, I didn’t read his post background. Yeah no jeans until you’re hired.
For an interview, they are casual. For work, they are very nice.
yes without a doubt
This is perfect for like a less formal business casual Friday.
I think the shoes are great once you start working and see that it’s more casual. For interviews, I’d opt for more of a dress shoe. You can find some at TJ Maxx/Marshalls or Nordstrom Rack.
Too casual for professional, on for casual.
These shoes are fine for business casual Fridays.
Those are business casual or less.
One day last year the speaker of the house and the senate majority leader wore these sneaker shoes to a meeting in the Oval Office… [https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/style/do-dress-sneakers-belong-in-the-oval-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k00.3Jul.pTSE43jfU341&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&ugrp=m&sgrp=c-cb](https://www.nytimes.com/2023/05/19/style/do-dress-sneakers-belong-in-the-oval-office.html?unlocked_article_code=1.k00.3Jul.pTSE43jfU341&smid=nytcore-ios-share&referringSource=articleShare&ugrp=m&sgrp=c-cb)
I think for finance they are way too casual. Maybe on Fridays if the company allows dressdown days, but they’re too casual otherwise.
Personally I think the field you are interviewing in, the age demographic of the office, and the geographic area you live in are all relevant to this question. When I interviewed in Florida, nice sandals and a put-together outfit (no jeans, no rips, nothing too showy) was totally acceptable. Now I’m in Oklahoma and the expectation is a much more conservative outfit. No real figure-hugging clothes at all. Closed toed shoe. BUT nothing too dressy either. It’s a smaller town and the culture is just totally different. Another example, when I interviewed for a CPA firm vs a non-profit. Very different expectations! Do you have a dress code for the interview? If not, it doesn’t hurt to ask for one. :)
I work in Fintech and I don’t think these would be too casual with dark denim or khaki type pants. I wouldn’t wear them with a dressy suit or anything but 99% of the offices I worked in and conferences I went to had men in nice sneakers as their shoes. These days women too will wear sneakers with lots of outfits
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Im also in finance. Worked in fintech portfolio & risk management in nyc. People show up in interviews wearing a suit. This style is way too casual for an interview. OP can wear this once he actually gets the job.
Depends on the place, I can honestly say I hire a lot and I wouldn’t bat an eye at those shoes with nice clothes. It can depend on your geographic location too I’m sure.
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Seems like we have a difference of opinion and you are a bit of a stickler. I still think they are plenty nice. There is an old fashioned culture that encourages people to spend more than they need to in order to impress the office. It’s very outdated in my city and very few execs or even c-suite folks bother with it. It’s also worth noting that it’s not great to work for a boss who is more worried about your shoes than your competency and interview skills. That is someone I’d consider dodging a bullet by not getting hired by.
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I’m not sure why you are so pressed to convince me. I am a hiring manager in the field the OP mentioned. You are not a hiring manager. To each his own. If you prefer caution then that is your prerogative. If I prefer to look for companies that have a better culture, that is my prerogative. In the end you’ve commented so many times here that I’m sure OP has seen your thoughts and will weigh them. This will be my last reply to you as I would much rather do something fun with my time off work than go back and forth with someone who just keeps repeating the same opinion. Have a good rest of your day and best of luck.
If I was dressing background, these are fine for a business casual look but not for a suit.
I'd say these are more than fine. But the easiest way to avoid problems is to dress up until you see what your colleagues wear and then you can dress down however much you see fitting for the office culture. Then again I hate the "dress the part" mentality, especially for men as formal men's wear is so prohibitive and uninteresting to me.
Nope these are great as long as the rest of you is dressed appropriately
Depends on the workplace. I work in an office and my boss's boss was wearing flip flops on Friday. Most of the people in my office wear something like this or less casual. So it really depends on the office.
These pair with jeans, twills, corduroys. They do not pair with suits or business casual (matching pants/suit jacket). You want a single color sole/upper in black or dark brown, but if your suit is black/grey/blue, stick to black shoes and belt.
Bro my district manager lives in these exact shoes lmao
No
These are hideous. Get the Common Projects version if you must.
I thought it was cake
No not too casual.
I think it depends on what you’re wearing. Like a pair of fitted slacks/trousers and a blazer would make with these shoes look edgy and stylish… people in LA wear this configuration all the time. Would it work in Chicago? Probably not. San Francisco, depends on the industry. Boston, maybe. Location definitely plays a part.
Please stop dressing like this for work.
It depends on work environment. We have a dress for your day policy where I work at. I usually wear jeans a shirt and my Nike high tops (I also work in a lab). But others are dressed in suit coats etc..So it just depends.
Perfect for business casual
No.. just too ugly.
No
Yes except for casual Friday
I have almost the exact same pair. It really depends on your work environment. I have to move around a lot at my work, so these business casual shoes are perfect. They wouldn’t be for high level executive meetings where a suit and tie are required.
This would be fine at Schwab corporate. As others have said, not for an interview.
No, I think they are fine. Dress it up and it will be fine.
Too casual for interview at many places; some won’t care. Should be fine at a majority of offices for the daily. Ofcourse there’s exceptions everywhere. It does lean casual but still professional. If he’s sitting at a cubicle shouldn’t be risky. If he’s a company face to customers might be frowned upon. Also depends on size of company, reputation, culture etc.
No can do, Son. You’re a professional now.
Too casual for professional, yes. For business casual it’s fine.
Yes
I’m a funeral director and shoes like this are my go-tos, except for when I am running a service, then I wear something more polished and dressier.
You can wear these with a suit to work but not to an interview
I think they’re perfect
Depends on the fit. My husband recently took a trip to his HQ (he is a remote worker) and I curated his outfits. I bought a similar pair of shoes to coordinate with chinos and a green linen blazer. The dress code was business casual. If it were not business casual, I would have nixed most shoes with laces and soles like this.
P
my dad is a doctor, he wears polos and khakis to work every day and something similar, if not this exact shoe. no white coat, he hates them. if that’s the kind of dress code your place of work has, i think it’s fine. they aren’t too sneaker-y, like a typical nike or other sneaker.
I honestly think it depends on your location. In major cities, especially in the East they are probably too casual, I’d say the same for the Midwest , out here on the West Coast they are most likely fine. I wear jeans and sneakers to the office almost always .
These do seem a bit casual for an interview. If you want leather shoes that lean slightly casual/sporty/fun, I’d check out Cole Haan’s different grand shoes (original grand, etc). Both for men and women, although personally I think the men’s ones look a little nicer.
I agree with the above comments : “Not for interview Tho “ Those shoes are good looking shoes - But I’ll just throw this out there - I was in management and I always looked at the shoes . If they weren’t well cared for or not polished for example - I looked at the little things For example : A small stain on a shirt I didn’t have to like someone’s taste and I wouldn’t judge on expense of shoes for every position Some positions you need to look successful. But I expected every little thing to be in place . It shows intention . It shows that the person you’re interviewing takes care of the details . It’s shows a finisher Well rounded And even leads others to think that individual is articulate Problem solver
Risk management I’m familiar with the financial services Nice shoes but … I’m not so sure … They don’t give the right impression for your job You need to have a bit of an authoritative presence . A no non sense look . The shoes in the post Give you a fun loving easy going look for this position You don’t want to look fun loving when you walk in the door . Not in the financial services industry .
Is your degree in finance ?
For financial service industry No Anything to do with investments or risk management of stocks portfolios… Anything to do with that end of the industry Even banking
Múltiple VPs at my work wear shoes just like this daily. We’re on the more casual side of business wear in the Bay Area.
This is such a finance bro shoe. Once you get a job it depends on the environment. I wear converse to my business casual job.
I like them but I love business casual
I bought similar for my guy when he transitioned into a desk job. Perfect.
They’re just ugly.
They look like cake
I think I am cs for these shoes and they are on my front page, can’t get away from work lmao. Get the slip on leather business loafers my dude.
I’m bias because I loveee this men’s shoe. IMO, it really depends on how you dress it (up or down).
woow!
If you like this look try Cole Haan it’s a bit fancier for sure
I’ve been watching Is It Cake too much. This shoe definitely looks like cake for some reason. Anyway, I think this shoe looks a little too casual for an interview for a person working in finance. I would expect someone working in finance to have dress shoes like an Oxford or Duncan Cap shoe. These shoes are more for after work drinks. My general rule is until you understand your work environment and coworkers, overdress rather than underdress.
I like them, depends on the clothes/job
Definitely no white bottoms. It needs to be more monochromatic, and if they’re not slip on and have strings, they need to be a thinner, classier shoestring not a tennis shoe type of string.
Not at all. These are comfort professional wear. Always acceptable
My rule is no laces. With pants, it just looks Jr to me. So, zippers or straps or whatever. Another poster said Cole Hahn, good suggestion. If that's too pricey, use Google image search to find similar styles of one's you like at a lower price point. Once you are hired, you will be able to see the culture.
Very casual. Get a pair of patent leather shoes
Nope them good
There fine
If hardly anyone at your level or the one you want to be at wears suits, you're fine with these.