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Formality of Different Toe Styles

onix

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With everything else being equal, what are the formality of different types of shoe toe? Specifically, I am thinking about these style (also, this is my ranking from most formal to most casual)

Formal:
- Plain toe
- Traditional cap toe

Business Casual:
- Wingtip

Casual:
- Moc-toe
- Split toe
- Bicycle toe

What are you guys' opinions?
 

voxsartoria

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This is my loose hierarchy:

23925131_78d80c1e30.jpg


flippershoes.jpg


116-164_large.jpg


camel_toes.jpg



- B
 

onix

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
116-164_large.jpg

What's the name of this style? Yellow-Nosed Reindeer? or non-Moccasin front Split-toe?
 

bc78

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
Would you say that camel toe is most or least formal?

- B


Depends who is wearing it, of course.
 

onix

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Alright, all jokes aside please. Can someone gives some useful inputs?
 

onix

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Originally Posted by anon
how does brogue/medallions affect formality?

I'm not quite sure, but I don't think they affect formality at all.
 

ohm

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Originally Posted by onix
Alright, all jokes aside please. Can someone gives some useful inputs?

Use search? I'm pretty sure Manton has discussed this once or twice. For what it's worth, I think that socal's shoes of many colors are more formal than the camel toe.
 

voxsartoria

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Originally Posted by onix
Alright, all jokes aside please. Can someone gives some useful inputs?

When you think of formality of shoes, think of the history of shoes. Town shoes are derived from riding boots and court shoes.

Riding boot:

252515596_eHHrq-L.jpg


Note closed lacing, cap toe, no brogueing.

Court shoe:

500081301_nyeTN-L.jpg


Note cap toe, no lacing.

So, the most formal town shoe is the cap toe oxxford/balmoral, in black, with no broguing, with a balmoral boot slightly more formal still because of its earlier connection with riding boots. The most formal evening shoe is the non-court version of the court shoe, the bowed pump. Men of means rode horses or in carriages.

Removing the cap makes the shoe less formal. So does adding broguing, which is an element of country shoes that have over time come into town use.

Moccasin or stitched lake construction add further informality, as are any country shoe influences from hinterland areas, like Norway, Maine, Provence, Tuscany or wherever Kenneth Cole came from.

How's that?


- B
 

onix

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Originally Posted by voxsartoria
Removing the cap makes the shoe less formal.

Now that's something interesting that I didn't know. I will take your words for this.

Originally Posted by voxsartoria
So does adding broguing, which is an element of country shoes that have over time come into town use.

Moccasin or stitched lake construction add further informality, as are any country shoe influences from hinterland areas, like Norway, Maine, Provence, Tuscany or wherever Kenneth Cole came from.

How's that?


- B

So basically, given that the shoes are oxfords/balmorals, cap toe will be the most formal, plain toe will be second, and every thing else with added seams/broguing/moccasin will be less formal, if not informal.
 

embowafa

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wow, vox went from snark to serious in one post. impressive.
 

Zenny

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Wholecuts are the most formal.

And adornment lessens formality.
 

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