Everyone knows to avoid water and overuse with leather shoes, but they should have regular shines with a cream-based polish, too. Creams nourish the leather for an ever more comfortable fit; for a harder shine, use wax polish. Quality shoes have a strong structure but can easily collapse -- use a shoehorn to slip them on, and support them with cedar shoe trees after you take them off.

Choosing between leather and rubber soles is a hard call. Let your surroundings decide for you. Rubber, with its practicality, can be fine with jeans on the weekend; it's more comfortable and longer lasting than leather. But if you're headed to a formal occasion, your ensemble should reflect that from the ground up: Go for a proper leather foundation.

As your suits become lighter for spring and summer, so too should your footwear. Black shoes are still the answer for navy and black suits, but shades of brown work well with cream and gray. The darker the brown, the more options you have. The basic rule: As long as your footwear is darker than your pants, the combination should be safe.