Men’s shoe trends run in predictable cycles, which is one reason why I’m not parting with my Ancona Italy Prada outlet finds, though they are a bit out of date. I know that one day they’ll be all the rage again – and you can’t beat vintage Prada.
I won’t, however, be purchasing any shoes that flip up at the tips of the toes. Never.
Now maybe I haven’t been spending enough time night clubbing lately, because I know it’s the club guys who are buying these beyond-trendy shoes. But I think it’s fair to say that when the ends of your shoes curl up you have identified yourself as a fashion victim – or an elf. These shoes seem to go hand in hand with cheesy designer jeans; toned down, wide-toed versions of the shoes are even showing up in the workplace.
I’ve done some straw polling, and the female opinions I’ve heard support my position. If you own these shoes, get rid of them now. And pretend that you never had them.
Imagine the worst photos you’ve seen of your Dad back in the ’70s. Plaid bell bottom pants, big ‘burns, mega flare collar shirt with bad print, white patent leather loafers. He was in his 20s and still strutting it on the dance floor once in a while. And he made some mistakes.
That may be you someday. All that trendy party gear will surely earn you the exasperated “What were you thinking? Were you stoned?” questions from your embarrassed teenaged kids when they see the photos. But parenting can be tough enough without embarassing photos of you wearing elf boots. Do yourself a favour: Ditch the flip-up shoes.
