It’s not easy to wear strong colours, whether it be in clothes or footwear. So it’s worth taking notice when someone does it well. This gentleman was spotted by our roving photographer recently, successfully mixing strong red trousers with brown and two shades of green. But while it’s worth pointing out that red and green work because they are complementary colours (a primary colour and its opposing secondary), the real secret here is the brown suede boots.

Strong colour requires a partner to balance it and suck up the saturation. Mid-grey does it best in suits; in shoes there’s nothing better than brown suede. The matte finish of the suede provides a balance to the brightness of the red, while brown is the most basic background colour in a shoe (anything lighter or darker would create too great a contrast).