Wing tip shoes

[scnupe7]

What do you guys think of wing tip shoes?

 

[RainCityClotheshound]

I am probably in the minority,but I really like wingtips. I recently purchased a great pair of Florsheim Imperials(New Old Stock) on eBay at a fantastic reduced price. Made back when Florsheim still made quality dress shoes.Heck,I even own a pair of Spectators,and have been waiting for Memorial Day to pass so I could properly strut them out. Some may dismiss them as "old men's shoes",the kind your Grandpa wore;heavy,with thick soles,but I disagree. I remember having to polish my Dad's wingtips,as a way of earning my allowance,as a kid. It was boring work,but even then I appreciated the craftsmanship that went into the patterns on the toe cap,and how professional my Dad looked when he wore them. In my 20s I bought a couple of pairs(Black & Cordovan)of thick-soled wingtips at a thrift store.They probably looked odd on a younger man,but I loved how they felt;their weight and styling hearkened back to a time when dressing well was expected. More modern versions of the wingtip,with a thinner sole and narrower vamp,are getting hard to find. Nordstrom used to stock a nice Italian made wingtip under their own label,but they've been discontinued. Plal.com,a website recommended by another member in our forum,sells beautiful handcrafted English shoes,including wingtips,monkstraps,& cap toe oxfords,all from high polish,glove soft calfskin. Stunning work.

 

[Joe G]

Wingtips are definitely a hot item on the S/S 2002 scene. Excellent bimateriale (leather/something else) variants are on hand by Ferragamo and Ludwig Reiter, among others. Gucci also has a very unique shoe, a pointed-toe loafer with a wingtip, no perforations, and an almost driving moc-like broken up sole. The top of of the vamp is available in bicolore/bimateriale configurations.

I bought the Guccis in black with white vamp, but that was before I saw the Ferragamos. I probably would have preferred the Ferragamos to the Guccis. The Reiters are indisputably better-made shoes than the both of them, but the sole is a double-layer and I like the sleekness of lower soles.

Peace,

JG

 

[pstoller]

I'm a fan of wingtips and specs, and I also have some killer vintage examples, including Florsheim Imperials from back in the day. With the right outfit, they're incredibly elegant. (Or just mildly outrageous, which is sometimes what I want.)

 

[GatorStyle]

Wing-tips are timeless classics for serious business garb.  I'm generally not a huge fan of them (most of my business kicks are either cap-toe, plain-toe, or split-toe), with several notable exceptions.

One such exception is a Ferragamo wingtip from a few years ago with a more squared-off toe than you'll find with most other wingtips.  Risking the wrath of those fashionistas who will argue that pointy toes are all the rage, I still prefer a slightly squared-off toe in most instances, to varying degrees.  I still kick myself for not purchasing the aforementioned Ferragamos because I'd love a somewhat squarer wingtip.  Unfortunately,I haven't seen that particular shoe in some time now.  Does anyone know if that's still out there?

 

[Steve B.]

Love wing tips as well. From the posts under this and the Magli thread, w have some guys with great taste in shoes here.

And I thought I was the only guy with a pair of Florsheim Imperials, and was going to give them away when I moved. You guys ae giving me second thoughts....

 

[Joe G]

Risking the wrath of those fashionistas who will argue that pointy toes are all the rage, I still prefer a slightly squared-off toe in most instances, to varying degrees.

No idea, but if you like more blunted toes, have you seen Ludwig Reiter's Gustav Mahler model? It's a plain toe blucher that combines the signature Reiter high toe-box with a more blunted front than their bread-and-butter "Wiener" model. Not to mention that it has real history behind it, being originally designed for the Maestro himself in the late 1800s by the firm. They are a bit pricey in the States (better to get them on the Continent or even in London), partially because to my knowledge only Barney's stocks the marque. But I love mine.

Peace,

JG

 

[GatorStyle]

Thanks for the scoop, Joe G. I may just check that out.

 

[Nikooo]

Originally Posted by Mr.Big

They're an old man shoe. If you see a kid wearing them you can be sure he's some cubicle working nerd and the girl's in the office laugh at his "style" and use him as a gofer. No top female would be caught dead with a dweeby wing tip wearer.

Wow what a great insight. Personally I dont agree at all - I do agree with the opinions posted here 9 YEARS AGO however..