I wasn't sure where to put this but here goes. Normally when I play out I dress up. Sometimes a coat and tie but usually always a dress shirt. The other day I got a call to do a gig on very short notice. No rehearsal. 3 sets. I knew maybe 1/3 of the tunes. I asked the band leader do you guys dress up? He said usually just t shirts and jeans. My question is this, when I dress for a gig I usually wear dress shoes. But on this gig that wouldn't have worked. I felt funny wearing tennis shoes but what else can you wear with jeans? So this is my question. What kind of shoes do y'all wear on gigs?
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Stage attire
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These are the current shoes I wear for gigs. They look good with jeans, khakis, or dress pants. They are Skechers.
Most show companies make something like these classic Vans:
Get them in black and they go with any kind of casual pants.
Get them in black and they go with any kind of casual pants.
That's me in the blue wife beater shirt...
(Bons Salute ACDC tribute band)
Chronic kidney disease made wearing shoes or boots a nightmare on my feet.
Even now, I still go barefoot.
(Bons Salute ACDC tribute band)
Chronic kidney disease made wearing shoes or boots a nightmare on my feet.
Even now, I still go barefoot.
Boots go fine with jeans. My default gig footwear is a pair of Beatle boots.
One additional thought about that picture: the guitarist and I have pretty much the same build. But he's wearing baggy jeans and I'm wearing slim jeans, and the look winds up being very different. So if you're wearing jeans on a gig, you might also want to ask yourself what style of jeans suits the look you want best, and what works with your body type best.
Not the exact brand as whatever it is I have, but this kind of thing:
One additional thought about that picture: the guitarist and I have pretty much the same build. But he's wearing baggy jeans and I'm wearing slim jeans, and the look winds up being very different. So if you're wearing jeans on a gig, you might also want to ask yourself what style of jeans suits the look you want best, and what works with your body type best.
Not the exact brand as whatever it is I have, but this kind of thing:
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I used to wear boots in a country band but aside from that I usually wear black shoes with rubber soles. Rubber soles offer two kinds of protection: slip and fall accident reduction and electrocution protection. If you use your imagination, you can probably think of more. Hmmm, a good topic for a thread? NO!!!
Timberland Pro oxfords. Available in soft or steel toe. Mine are soft toe and very well worn, but I’ve worn them most every day for the last ten years. Did I mention they are long lasting.
I'm bringing my dollar bills... and change if necessary.
Rocky 5019's. From roadie to rocky star, in less than 60 seconds.
I wear pretty much nothing but New Balance walking shoes for orthopedic reasons. Fortunately most of their shoes also come in brown or black leather. They still have a big N on them, but they’re basically invisible until you get close enough to see the stitching. They’re kind of expensive, as athletic shoes go, but you get your money’s worth.
Vowboy boots or Vans.
Black boots.
Brown/tan boots.
I'm up to 18 pairs of Vans in all kinds of colors/patterns. They can be dressed up or down depending on the pattern. They even make some that resemble Sperry deck shoes that wear well with khakis. I have a solid black pair as mentioned above, as well as one pair of black/white Chucks also mentioned.
Black boots.
Brown/tan boots.
I'm up to 18 pairs of Vans in all kinds of colors/patterns. They can be dressed up or down depending on the pattern. They even make some that resemble Sperry deck shoes that wear well with khakis. I have a solid black pair as mentioned above, as well as one pair of black/white Chucks also mentioned.
For important gigs, I go with the Doc Martin High Tops. For casual gigs I wear Dickies pants (I hate jeans) and these New Balance. I like the maroon color as they are suede and a little more classy than your average tennis shoe with a touch of flair.
