Who Would’ve Thought It: Don’t Be Square

Your wardrobe should be like anything else in life – it should change every so often. Regardless of whether you stick to classics or you’re a fast fashion follower, you can’t keep many things in your closet for too long. That applies to shoes as well. Sometimes trends come and go and then come back in style. It’s difficult to predict the ebbs and flows of fashion, but there are some style movements that are most likely stuck in the past. Square-toed shoes are a prime example of said movement. These aren’t like double-breasted suits or chalk stripe patterns made famous by bankers – there’s no real way to make square-toed shoes cool while still keeping the shape.

Popular in the 90s and early 2000s, square-toed shoes were the norm for both sneakers and dress shoes. Fast forward to current times and we’re all left wondering why we thought that was a good idea to begin with. That era was all about baggy and loose fitting (i.e. ill-fitting) clothes, from suits to sweatpants. Well, square-toe is the ‘ill-fitting suit’ of shoes. They don’t have a good shape and stand out in the worst way. If you’re wearing slimmer clothes – especially a suit – then you have no business pairing it with boxy shoes that don’t match the trim profile. Unless you’re a hobbit, you don’t need to wear these for functional purposes. Sure, if you don’t care about style and only care about room for your feet, then it’s not the worst thing in the world (but it’s close). That doesn’t apply to you though, because you’re here and you care about style. So if you have any of that outdated footwear, then please donate it. Or burn it, so that no one else has to wear it. Ever. Because whoever wears these will have a look that instantly screams "he has no sense of style."

The good news is that this is such an easy fix. Once you let go of your past, opt for slimmer (and rounder) silhouettes. They’re a dime a dozen these days, so you should not have a problem finding any. If you have square-toe sneakers, it doesn’t mean you get a pass, but the most important fix is for anyone with dress shoes.

Here are three great options for any budget:

1. Aldo has great bang for the buck shoes like these leather cognac cap toes. Plus, they’re versatile enough to dress up or dress down.
2. Saks Fifth Avenue’s Magnanni – its in house brand – has this elegant option to elevate your shoe game.
3. The crème de la crème option is this Salvatore Ferragamo Italian leather cap toes. You’ll want to suit up every day, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

Whatever you decide, just make sure you make a decision that doesn’t leave you or anyone you care about with square-toed shoes. A last, but not least benefit of upgrading is for those who have any type of break in their pants, because no breaks or slight breaks aren’t meant for shoes that have corners on them. Glad we got this topic squared away.