Shoes are dangerous, financially speaking. Watches are expensive, sure, but it’s shoes that’ll do real damage to your wallet. Buy the wrong the pair, or the right pair in the wrong colour, and you can wave goodbye to hundreds if not thousands of pounds worth of tailoring. After all, not even the finest Savile Row suit can be saved from a seriously misjudged pairing.

Oxfords and Derbies are the bona fide godfathers of smart footwear, and no man should be without at least one pair of each in his wardrobe.

These will stand you in good stead for whatever your calendar throws at you.

As one of the most versatile colours in the wheel, it’s hard to go wrong with a navy trousers. Not only does this particular shade of blue complement pretty much every skin tone, but it’s the perfect balance of smart and casual that’ll serve you just as well in the office as at dressier affairs.

Brown leather or suede styles are your best bet here.

The exact style is entirely negotiable too, so choose from Oxfords, Derbies, loafers or Chelsea boots depending on what works best for the occasion at hand.

Not a fan of brown?

Grey tends to team best with warmer, richer shades that pop when paired with either a light or dark grey.

Dark shades of brown, burgundy, oxblood and navy all inject enough colour for a clear point of difference

For a more classic take, choose black.

Black Oxfords as the first port of call (especially for formal events), followed by Derbies, monk straps and Chelsea boots.

The trick to accessorising a neutral trousers is finding shoes in a colour that is both different enough to contrast with it, yet similar enough to complement its earthiness.

What’s that exactly? Any shade of brown.

As with navy, brown shoes work well with lighter shades of blue, but while dark browns complement navy’s depth, you’re better off sticking to lighter brown hues with blue tailoring. Tan Derbies, brogues and monk straps work well, as do slightly richer shades of brown – think milk rather than dark chocolate.

Like a light, slate or mid-grey number, a charcoal trousers looks sharp with shoes in black, burgundy and oxblood. Unlike trousers in lighter shades of grey, however, a charcoal one won’t play well with navy or light brown footwear.