Shoe Style and Proportions

[DrewMill]

Hello, all. I know this is probably a little too nitty gritty and #menswear guy stuff, and I'll probably have this scrennshotted by @dieworkwear and posted as a #StyFo dude. But I was thinking about this the other day.

In the same way that collars, lapels, and ties should work in proportions with faces and bodies, do different shoe styles work the same way? Would European-style shoes work better for smaller guys, British-style shoes for moderately built guys, and American-style for larger guys? Or are shoes a bit more able to work for anyone?

I know there are no set rules, but I prefer to choose clothes that work better for me. I have a round face, so I wear more square sunglasses, etc. I'd love to hear some thoughts on the shoes. Thanks!

 

[circumspice]

So, Europe is a big place, from a footwear perspective. I think it is somewhat reasonable to state that:

Spanish shoes don't tend to hew to one style, or probably align most closely to what the English do (when I think of Meermin and Carmina, I tend to think of things that would not be unexpected from Northhampton)
Austro-Hungarian shoes tend to skew more substantial - if you look at Vass, some of their lasts are explicitly designed by Italians they partnered with because those styles are not organically in their DNA. Excluding those lasts, and consider Dinkelacker, etc, you tend to got more substantial profiles - rounded and perhaps higher toes, double soled, etc.
Italians cover a lot of styles and methods - many would interpret "Italian loafer" as something Blake welted, and therefore having a slimmer, vertical profile.

So, I wouldn't really think about "European" shoes so much as what look you are trying to achieve. Some of the Spanish and English stuff will have the sole trimmed pretty tight, and if on a chiseled last, are not adding much width or "weight" to your look - if you are a bigger guy or have tiny feet, perhaps you are looking for more presence down there to balance you ought. The other dimension is what you are wearing - if you are wearing more workwear stuff, you probably don't want delicate footwear.

That said, if you search out for photos of Ethan Newton, I think you will find some of him in Belgian loafers, which are basically footwear de minimus on a guy with some mass

 

[DrewMill]

So, Europe is a big place, from a footwear perspective. I think it is somewhat reasonable to state that:

Spanish shoes don't tend to hew to one style, or probably align most closely to what the English do (when I think of Meermin and Carmina, I tend to think of things that would not be unexpected from Northhampton)
Austro-Hungarian shoes tend to skew more substantial - if you look at Vass, some of their lasts are explicitly designed by Italians they partnered with because those styles are not organically in their DNA. Excluding those lasts, and consider Dinkelacker, etc, you tend to got more substantial profiles - rounded and perhaps higher toes, double soled, etc.
Italians cover a lot of styles and methods - many would interpret "Italian loafer" as something Blake welted, and therefore having a slimmer, vertical profile.

So, I wouldn't really think about "European" shoes so much as what look you are trying to achieve. Some of the Spanish and English stuff will have the sole trimmed pretty tight, and if on a chiseled last, are not adding much width or "weight" to your look - if you are a bigger guy or have tiny feet, perhaps you are looking for more presence down there to balance you ought. The other dimension is what you are wearing - if you are wearing more workwear stuff, you probably don't want delicate footwear.

That said, if you search out for photos of Ethan Newton, I think you will find some of him in Belgian loafers, which are basically footwear de minimus on a guy with some mass

Thanks!! This is some really great advice!

 

[Phileas Fogg]

Hello, all. I know this is probably a little too nitty gritty and #menswear guy stuff, and I'll probably have this scrennshotted by @dieworkwear and posted as a #StyFo dude. But I was thinking about this the other day.

In the same way that collars, lapels, and ties should work in proportions with faces and bodies, do different shoe styles work the same way? Would European-style shoes work better for smaller guys, British-style shoes for moderately built guys, and American-style for larger guys? Or are shoes a bit more able to work for anyone?

I know there are no set rules, but I prefer to choose clothes that work better for me. I have a round face, so I wear more square sunglasses, etc. I'd love to hear some thoughts on the shoes. Thanks!

Shoes should be proportionate to the outfit, your feet as well as to the purpose for which they are designed.

I'm not sure it's as simple as the generalization above. Take a look at some British country shoes and you'll see some pretty bulky offerings. They are country shoes designed to be worn outdoors. At the same time, some British shoes are built on pretty sleek lasts.

Italian loafers tend not to be as bulky but then there are other Italian shoes tend to be as bulky and chiseled as their cousins in Britain or America.

There is certainly a platonic ideal when it comes to these regional variations. Their are the quintessential Italian shoe, British shoe and American shoe styles.

 

[ValidusLA]

I dont think of shoe styling as fiting body styles generally. I do however think that styling speaks to certain styles of dress better.

Vass as mentioned above by @circumspice is a great example I'll use. As he alluded to, they have newer lasts like the U which are quite sleek and "modern." If you go to the Vass thread, U seems to be the most popular last these days.

U is, objectively, pretty on its own. But unless you dress like an Italian going to Pitti it wouldn't be my choice. And if you want an Italian shoe...buy an Italian shoe?

F last is quite...Britishy.... I really like the F. But once again why not buy a British shoe?

My favorite last at Vass is P2. Not super clunky, but still has some of that Central European sensibility.

To me, a well rounded but not overly broad shoe like a Vass P2 speaks well to a sport coat and off trousers outfit that might be a little more colorful than businesswear. Whereas a more conservative SC outfit for work might do better with a F last Vass.