21 Best Work Shoes for Men in 2022: Loafers, Lace-Ups, Chelsea Boots, and More

We’ll forgive you if it’s been a while since you thought about the best work shoes for men. “Work” is a tenuous term these days, and the shoes you wear to walk around the house and occasionally slap halfheartedly on your laptop hardly seem to qualify. The hooves are ascending. Slippers are essential. Hell, even decked out Crocs can pass for proper office attire when the desk in question is the least cluttered corner of your living room.

If your day job involves dodging steel beams and anything near a hard hat – you know, the kind of job your old man can be proud of – this probably isn’t for you. (Try a pair of these tough boots instead.) But if you’re looking for shoes with more juice than regular sneakers and a slightly dressier curvature than your penny loafers, the selection here is hard to beat. To be clear, though, these aren’t quite dress shoes – consider them a quality alternative to the hardbottoms you’ve been refusing to wear for months, if said hardbottoms came out of lockdown with a new haircut punky and a healthy disdain for The Homme.

Sufficient cushioning is a non-negotiable. Premium leather (often water resistant) abounds. And a welcome dose of funk is paramount. Even if your 9 to 5 involves little more than strategically pausing and reactivating Zoom’s mute button, whether from your home, office, or some hybrid version of the two, it will pay to have a pair. of the best work shoes for men. Luckily, your friends at GQ Recommends have rounded up everything worthwhile, from sleek work boots to sturdy lace-ups – dear old dad’s approval isn’t guaranteed, unfortunately.