Plain toes vs. captoes - which are more formal?

[cacky]

Hi all - this is probably a rookie question, but can someone please tell me which are more formal, plaintoes or captoes? I was looking at some Alden shoes and they make both balmorals and bluchers in plain toe as well as captoe.

My sense is that captoes are more formal, but I was curious whether plaintoe bluchers can also be worn in a business casual setting (whereas AE and Alden captoes look too formal, in my view).

Any thoughts would be much appreciated, as I am still moving up the "learning curve" here. Thanks!

 

[Etienne]

Everything else equal, plain toe is more formal. The less decoration, the more formal is a good rule of thumb.

Of course, a plain toe blucher will still be way less formal than a cap toe oxford.

 

[kryn13]

I had the same question. So an unadorned black wholecut would qualify as more formal than a black captoe?

 

[DocHolliday]

This gets a bit tricky. Etienne rightly points out that less decoration is generally more formal. Following this rule, black tie takes a plaintoe bal. But a captoe bal is recommended for the dressiest business purposes -- it's the ideal interview shoe, for example. Thus, for day wear/lounge suits, a captoe bal is more formal than a plaintoe wholecut. Sort of like peaked lapels that way -- proper with black tie, but relatively uncommon in an office, making them a bit more fashion-foward for daywear.

 

[Will]

In an ideal world, black tie takes an evening shoe, not a calf wholecut.

To the OPs question, a plain toe blucher is much less formal than a cap toe oxford.

An unadorned wholecut is a relatively recent innovation that would pair best with semi-formal day wear.

 

[cacky]

Thanks for the help guys. Just to sort everything out, am I correct in ranking the following in terms of most formal to least formal, specifically for a business/professional setting?

#1: Cap-toe balmoral (most suitable for business attire)
#2: Plain-toe balmoral
#3: Plain-toe blucher
#4: Cap-toe blucher (least formal for business attire)

Also, are any of these actually suitable for business casual, or even for casual attire (like with khakis or jeans)?

 

[knittieguy]

Originally Posted by cacky

Thanks for the help guys. Just to sort everything out, am I correct in ranking the following in terms of most formal to least formal, specifically for a business/professional setting?

#1: Cap-toe balmoral (most suitable for business attire)
#2: Plain-toe balmoral
#3: Plain-toe blucher
#4: Cap-toe blucher (least formal for business attire)

Also, are any of these actually suitable for business casual, or even for casual attire (like with khakis or jeans)?

Personally I think a plain toe blucher is the least formal of those four and may not really be all that appropriate for a conservative (note I say conservative) business setting.

 

[josepidal]

I think this is a tricky question. The plain cap toe will be the more formal, but I think it is hard to compare a plain toe in a sleek last. To me, the latter appears slightly less formal, because it appears modern, sleek and edgy.

Look up the John Lobb Beckett on the 8000 last or the Edward Green Carnegie on the 888 last.

 

[JLibourel]

Originally Posted by cacky

Thanks for the help guys. Just to sort everything out, am I correct in ranking the following in terms of most formal to least formal, specifically for a business/professional setting?

#1: Cap-toe balmoral (most suitable for business attire)
#2: Plain-toe balmoral
#3: Plain-toe blucher
#4: Cap-toe blucher (least formal for business attire)

Also, are any of these actually suitable for business casual, or even for casual attire (like with khakis or jeans)?

While bals are clearly more dressy or "formal" than bluchers, I doubt that there is an iota of practical difference on the "formality continuum" between captoe and plain-toe bals or between captoe and plaintoe bluchers. The vast majority of the male population, even those in a business/professional setting, are going to be more-or-less oblivious to difference between bals and bluchers, nor are they going to be congnizant of the "rule" (more revered in the forum culture than elsewhere, methinks) that wearing bluchers with a suit is subpar. Far less are they going to be attuned to any nuances between captoe and plain-toe within a give shoe style.

The logic concerning black tie is that captoes bals are so much the classic shoe of business that wearing them with black tie is kind of third-rate, whereas highly polished plain-toe calfskin bals are acceptable. Personally, I would much prefer opera pumps to either.

I will wear leather soled bluchers with khakis if I am also wearing a jacket, e.g., a blazer. I don't wear jeans, period. If I did, I would consider them better paired with cowboy boots or work boots.