color of shoes

Hello all,
Just got a great pair of dead stock brown 1940's shoes ( if I knew how to post photos I would of these are great) The shoes are simple but from the right period.
Now the question is what color suit can I wear with them?
When I look @ some of the vintage adds I have and @ NYPL digital gallery I see brown shoes with dark suits.
What is up with that? I thought only black shoes with dark suits.
Are brown shoes ok with light gray suits?
Brown belt for sure what about Fedora color?
Thanks all for your ideas on this.
David Kerr
Reno, Nv

It depends what sort of "dark suit" you want to wear with brown shoes. Navy suits and brown shoes go together perfectly. So do light to medium grey suits. A dark charcoal suit and brown shoes is more of a problem, I would say stick to black shoes with it. Same with a black suit.

Brown is traditionally the more informal color and thus is seen more with country suits (browns, tweeds, etc.) However, I think brown shoes are far more attractive and thus seldom wear black shoes myself except with a dinner jacket or for very formal occasions such as a funeral, conservative job interview, etc.

You'd be surprised how good brown shoes can look with a blue suit. I have a marine blue dbl-breasted pinstripe that I always wear with brown cap-toed shoes. Add a dark burgundy tie and you have a complementary color to carry it through.

Now are we talking about a deep brown or a burgundy brown? I might be able to see a burgundy but I just have a hard time wearing a brown pair of shoes with a blue suit.
I know styles have changed though. My father wouldn't have minded at all but he was raised during that era. I might have been brainwashed by today's sensibilities or I am just too formal in my way of thinking.

Regards to all,

J