Square toe shoes

[Druddra]

Hi everyone, I am doing this post to clarify a phenomenon I had seen recently. I am from Florence and many times I go to artisan shoe shops to have a look. In the last few years I have had a doubt that I have never been able to answer and I was wondering if you could give me your opinion. Many manufacturers here make shoes with this type of toe (I attach photos for reference, shoes made by harris), What type of toe is it?i don't like it, It seems to me that it is definitely boxy, almost square and I was wondering why such important producers made such a controversial shape, since square tips are taboo. The question is, does this kind of hybrid square toe shape like have a name?
Thank you all

 

[comrade]

brutto

 

[Druddra]

brutto

ahahahahah bravo, well, yup, i have seen worst cases, but certainly not the best. I think has a name, i remember an article from gentleman's gadzette that talked about the topic, but I don't know if I'm imagining it.

 

[JFWR]

I c k.

Like, straight up ewww.

I second "brutto" for this style.

This is definitely just a square toe monstrosity. Absolutely ugly as hell.

I can respect the soft square, but only cowboy boots can have proper squares and look okay.

Like I am okay with this shape, even if it is not my cup of tea:

But this is just ugly as hell crap.

G R O S S.

 

[Druddra]

I c k.

Like, straight up ewww.

I second "brutto" for this style.

This is definitely just a square toe monstrosity. Absolutely ugly as hell.

I can respect the soft square, but only cowboy boots can have proper squares and look okay.

Like I am okay with this shape, even if it is not my cup of tea:

But this is just ugly as hell crap.

G R O S S.

ahahaha but what is that? like a more squared almond shape? that it's super common too here

 

[JFWR]

ahahaha but what is that? like a more squared almond shape? that it's super common too here

It's usually referred to as a soft square. It's borderline ugly to me, but many like it.

 

[JFWR]

So, the general opinion of this forum is that square-toed shoes are not good. Even without relying on the collective judgement of the forum, I also don't find them aesthetically pleasing. For once, it seems like more modern-fashion-oriented parts of the internet are in nearly unanimous agreement with this forum that they're ugly. So why do they exist? Why are so many of them for sale? Who likes them, and why? What's their history? Is it a case where they used to be in fashion, but have gone out of fashion, so the fashion-oriented parts of the internet don't like them anymore because they're out of style, but lots of people still wear them because they got accustomed to them when they were in fashion, and haven't kept up with trends?

Square toed shoes have been around for a long time. @audog showed me pictures in his wonderful library of amazing men's fashion books of square toed shoes dating back to the 20s/30s in terms of modern shoes. Prior to modern shoes, square toed shoes were the norm as shoes were cut straight (to be worn without regard to left/right feet).

In terms of the modern look, I recall that square toes came into vogue in the mid 90s (say around 1995). The 90s is the era of awful Chandler-esque fashion.

I suspect that the reason that a lot of companies still make these shoes is that most men don't care about how they look and just need one or two pairs of shoes in order to fit into the expectations of the office. Caring about your shoes and outfits as much as we do is relatively rare in men, especially now that norms have shifted towards more casual so that men can't even just copy/paste their outfits and land on something halfway decent by just being surrounded by "acceptable" looks.

The bicycle toe is also a common modern style that people buy for some reason known only to God (or perhaps Satan).

The other problem is that a lot of shoes made by lower-end makers in rounded toes are bulbuous and ungainly. You're just as likely to look terrible in the rounded crap you can get from contemporary Hush Puppies and Nunn Bush and J&M as you are to look terrible in their square offerings.

 

[jack webb]

No, no, forever no. Those rank right down there alongside sneakers with suits, and socks with sandals.

 

[audog]

@JFWR is right, square toe shoes have been around for a long time, there were quite a few during the 1920's and 30's (which might be considered the "height" of men's fashion. HOWEVER, if one looks at pictures drawings from that time period, the proportions were more elegant than the current 1990's onward, versions of square toe shoes. The trick is in the last, it's easy to just square off a toe, but to make it look good requires attention to the rest of the shoe/boot. Alden plaza last is essentially a square toe, but looks good....;Johnston/Murphy at Target is a square toe that does not look good...it's in the balance of things that the magic happens.

 

[audog]

I suspect that the reason that a lot of companies still make these shoes is that most men don't care about how they look and just need one or two pairs of shoes in order to fit into the expectations of the office. Caring about your shoes and outfits as much as we do is relatively rare in men, especially now that norms have shifted towards more casual so that men can't even just copy/paste their outfits and land on something halfway decent by just being surrounded by "acceptable" looks.

Let's face it guys....we are an odd lot, grown men who care about and understand fashion/footwear/clothing...NOT the norm, at least in American (USA) society. This makes us special, not superior, but special and we should flaunt it when we can, but not rub in anyones face...The jeans, poor fitting T-shirt, sandals or "dress sneakers" may be the majority, but we can take pride in that we know WTF is up.....carry on.

 

[JFWR]

Let's face it guys....we are an odd lot, grown men who care about and understand fashion/footwear/clothing...NOT the norm, at least in American (USA) society. This makes us special, not superior, but special and we should flaunt it when we can, but not rub in anyones face...The jeans, poor fitting T-shirt, sandals or "dress sneakers" may be the majority, but we can take pride in that we know WTF is up.....carry on.

This x 1000.

 

[audog]

Square toed shoes have been around for a long time. @audog showed me pictures in his wonderful library of amazing men's fashion books of square toed shoes dating back to the 20s/30s in terms of modern shoes. Prior to modern shoes, square toed shoes were the norm as shoes were cut straight (to be worn without regard to left/right feet).

In terms of the modern look, I recall that square toes came into vogue in the mid 90s (say around 1995). The 90s is the era of awful Chandler-esque fashion.

I suspect that the reason that a lot of companies still make these shoes is that most men don't care about how they look and just need one or two pairs of shoes in order to fit into the expectations of the office. Caring about your shoes and outfits as much as we do is relatively rare in men, especially now that norms have shifted towards more casual so that men can't even just copy/paste their outfits and land on something halfway decent by just being surrounded by "acceptable" looks.

The bicycle toe is also a common modern style that people buy for some reason known only to God (or perhaps Satan).

The other problem is that a lot of shoes made by lower-end makers in rounded toes are bulbuous and ungainly. You're just as likely to look terrible in the rounded crap you can get from contemporary Hush Puppies and Nunn Bush and J&M as you are to look terrible in their square offerings.

The mens fashion book library is up to around 150 volumes now...found a few more that I needed over the past month or so...NOW if anyone has vintage copies of Apparel Arts...LET ME KNOW!!!!

 

[Viral]

Tom Ford, Ferragamo, and others still make square-toed shoes so I’m not sure what the outrage is about

 

[JFWR]

Tom Ford, Ferragamo, and others still make square-toed shoes so I’m not sure what the outrage is about

Ferragamo makes square toes?

 

[Viral]

Ferragamo makes square toes?

Some of their loafer models…..and y’all can see for yourselves so don’t @ me bro LOL