# Thoughts on Wingtip shoes?



## robb01 (Oct 27, 2008)

Im looking for a pair of shoes for every day wear at the office, im looking at getting a black and brown pair. Are wingtip shoes still fashionable for business casual wear? Thoughts?


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

I am not sure about wingtip shoes, but have you thought about wingtip boots?

https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=88507


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## shirtguy (Oct 12, 2006)

very classy:icon_smile:


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## scwtlover (Nov 12, 2008)

> Are wingtip shoes still fashionable for business casual wear?


FWIW, I don't think so. At least, I haven't seen any lawyers in my office wearing wing tips for "business casual."


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## videocrew (Jun 25, 2007)

Whether they are fashionable or not is irrelevant, however they are always "in style"


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## eagle2250 (Mar 24, 2006)

+1. WingTips have been a favored shoe in my rotation for most of my life. They are certainly appropriate for business wear, imho!


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## topbroker (Jul 30, 2006)

Wingtips are awesome shoes. For Anglophilic absolutists (I'm not one), they are indeed more "casual" than, say, captoes. In America, they are appropriate in any business environment. Go for it!


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## Mike Petrik (Jul 5, 2005)

topbroker said:


> Wingtips are awesome shoes. For Anglophilic absolutists (I'm not one), they are indeed more "casual" than, say, captoes. In America, they are appropriate in any business environment. Go for it!


Agreed. Absolutely.


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Field of Dreams. A baseball shoe crosses the gravel and changes into a black wingtip. Burt Lancaster strides over to Costner's choking girl and slaps a hotdog out.
That scene sums up so many things to me personally, including a desire for a pair of wingtips.


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## mysharona (Nov 4, 2008)

Kav said:


> Field of Dreams. A baseball shoe crosses the gravel and changes into a black wingtip. Burt Lancaster strides over to Costner's choking girl and slaps a hotdog out.
> That scene sums up so many things to me personally, including a desire for a pair of wingtips.


 Excellent allusion to wingtips in the cinema! 
I own wingtips in black, brown, and burgundy. If you are wearing a tie, you can wear wingtips. They can be worn without one as well, of course, but as a general rule, wingtips are not _too _dressy for any business attire.


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## Wizard (Feb 29, 2008)

gnatty8 said:


> I am not sure about wingtip shoes, but have you thought about wingtip boots?
> 
> https://askandyaboutclothes.com/community/showthread.php?t=88507


They can be hidiously ugly as seen .


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

Theres an old ( and unfair) saying in auto circles ' give an englishman a piece of metal and he'll do something silly with it.'
Allen Edmonds seems intent on earning that reputation with leather punches and distressed vs antiqued leather.
that thing looks like something a gay klingon would wear to a performance of heroic opera about kalesh.


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## topbroker (Jul 30, 2006)

mysharona said:


> Excellent allusion to wingtips in the cinema!
> I own wingtips in black, brown, and burgundy. If you are wearing a tie, you can wear wingtips. They can be worn without one as well, of course, but as a general rule, wingtips are not _too _dressy for any business attire.


I'm trying to remember all my lace-up wingtips (not at home this minute to check)...black, burgundy, antique tan, black/white specs (AE Broadstreets), brown/white specs, dark brown suede...I think that might be it. I'm in the market for a rich, dark brown pair.


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## mcarthur (Jul 18, 2005)

eagle2250 said:


> +1. WingTips have been a favored shoe in my rotation for most of my life. They are certainly appropriate for business wear, imho!


I totally agree with eagle


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## SlowE30 (Mar 18, 2008)

topbroker said:


> Wingtips are awesome shoes. For Anglophilic absolutists (I'm not one), they are indeed more "casual" than, say, captoes. In America, they are appropriate in any business environment. Go for it!


The OP asked whether wingtips were appropriate for business casual, which I take to be chinos/polo or chinos/OCBD. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on that specifically, since I feel like that original intent may have been somewhat lost by those with business suits on the mind.

I generally shy away from my beloved wingtips in favor of blutchers if I'm wearing chinos/polo, even though I'd like to wear wingtips. Also, opinions on wingtips with (gasp) jeans/OCBD or the like?


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## NoPleats (Sep 28, 2008)

Kav said:


> Field of Dreams. A baseball shoe crosses the gravel and changes into a black wingtip. Burt Lancaster strides over to Costner's choking girl and slaps a hotdog out...


There you have it--wingtip shoe owners save children's lives. Of course they're appropriate for day-to-day office wear. Unless, of course, you don't value the lives of Precious Children(tm).


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## topbroker (Jul 30, 2006)

SlowE30 said:


> The OP asked whether wingtips were appropriate for business casual, which I take to be chinos/polo or chinos/OCBD. I'd be interested to hear your opinion on that specifically, since I feel like that original intent may have been somewhat lost by those with business suits on the mind.
> 
> I generally shy away from my beloved wingtips in favor of blutchers if I'm wearing chinos/polo, even though I'd like to wear wingtips. Also, opinions on wingtips with (gasp) jeans/OCBD or the like?


I've worn wingtips with all of the above, and seen others do so. One crucial factor is that I am almost always wearing a sportcoat in those instances.


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## Penang Lawyer (May 27, 2008)

Wore wingtips with my suits all my working life.


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## yanks1184 (Oct 28, 2008)

Wingtips are definitely nice. No complaints here.


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## Reddington (Nov 15, 2007)

I'm a huge fan of AE's MacNeil long wings (and long wings in general). Great big and heavy shoes!








Cheers.


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## Wizard (Feb 29, 2008)

SlowE30 said:


> ...I generally shy away from my beloved wingtips in favor of blutchers if I'm wearing chinos/polo, even though I'd like to wear wingtips...


Wingtips and bluchers are NOT mutually exclusive as evidenced by the AE MacNeil above and the much discussed Florshiem Kenmoor Imperials.


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## omanae (Aug 19, 2008)

I tend to think wingtips might be a bit too dressy for most jeans, although a trimmer, but not skinny, darker wash with the right coloring of wingtip with a sport coat of some sort could make a nice look. 

I love wingtips and am going to be getting more soon, even my wife looks great in wingtip boots, they're good for everyone.


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## SlowE30 (Mar 18, 2008)

Wizard said:


> Wingtips and bluchers are NOT mutually exclusive as evidenced by the AE MacNeil above and the much discussed Florshiem Kenmoor Imperials.


In my wardrobe they are :icon_smile_wink:


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## jackmccullough (May 10, 2006)

Regardless of what some on these boards may say about "casual", wing tips will come across as too formal to go with "business casual" dress in most settings.


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## topbroker (Jul 30, 2006)

jackmccullough said:


> Regardless of what some on these boards may say about "casual", wing tips will come across as too formal to go with "business casual" dress in most settings.


I cannot agree with this. I have an associate who is firmly business casual who wears captoes every day -- and captoes are actually more formal than wingtips.

Of course, "business casual" was never the best idea to begin with -- asking people to creatively interpret an oxymoron is just *begging* for trouble -- but that's a subject for another thread.


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## Mario (Oct 22, 2008)

*Wingtips are great...*

but wear them only if you can pull them off. Plus, depending on what you do, it may be faux pax to wear them. For example, I've never seen a lawyer wearing wingtips, they tend to go for tassel loafers (blech). If you're one of the two investment bankers who still has a job, only the MDs (Managing Directors) are supposed to wear wingtips in the hierarchy of things. Analysts/Associates wear loafers a lot, typically Ferragamo. Now though it may be gellies with triple-pleated khakis from GAP and a sweat-stained "wife beater" undershirt. And black socks.

If, however, you are no slave to convention, get those wingtips. They are my favorite shoes. Fratelli Rosetti make great wingtips. So do Crockett and Jones.


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

Wizard said:


> They can be hidiously ugly as seen .


hehe, you didn't look at the boot in the link I pasted did you?


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## Wizard (Feb 29, 2008)

gnatty8 said:


> hehe, you didn't look at the boot in the link I pasted did you?


If you are talking about the black ones with the 2" heels they look just fine (for my wife!) The burgundy ones further down may be ok (for someone else :icon_smile_big but I need a different view to be sure.


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## adhoc (Oct 5, 2008)

Kav said:


> Theres an old ( and unfair) saying in auto circles ' give an englishman a piece of metal and he'll do something silly with it.'
> Allen Edmonds seems intent on earning that reputation with leather punches and distressed vs antiqued leather.
> that thing looks like something a gay klingon would wear to a performance of heroic opera about kalesh.


:icon_hailthee:


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## Scoundrel (Oct 30, 2007)

Kav said:


> Theres an old ( and unfair) saying in auto circles ' give an englishman a piece of metal and he'll do something silly with it.'
> Allen Edmonds seems intent on earning that reputation with leather punches and distressed vs antiqued leather.
> that thing looks like something a gay klingon would wear to a performance of heroic opera about kalesh.


Is distressed just another word for ruined?


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## SimonTemplar (Feb 3, 2008)

videocrew said:


> Whether they are fashionable or not is irrelevant, however they are always "in style"


I agree. Classic style never goes out. Trends and fads are in one day/out the next. When I was younger I only wore bruno magli square toe shoes(what a mistake)/ Im now 35, and wear nothing but wingtips(at the office and casual).


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## Kav (Jun 19, 2005)

I 'distressed' a few ladies in my youth. They thought they were ruined, but got over it.


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## mrkleen (Sep 21, 2007)

jackmccullough said:


> Regardless of what some on these boards may say about "casual", wing tips will come across as too formal to go with "business casual" dress in most settings.


I was looking at a gorgeous pair of AE Bel Air Wingtips today, but had second thoughts because I dont typically wear a suit or sport coat to work.

Do you think I could get away with them with a nice pair of dress trousers and shirt (no tie or jacket), or do you consider wing tips primarily for wear with a suit / sport coat and a tie?


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## PJC in NoVa (Jan 23, 2005)

robb01 said:


> Im looking for a pair of shoes for every day wear at the office, im looking at getting a black and brown pair. Are wingtip shoes still fashionable for business casual wear? Thoughts?


I don't think they're "fashionable" at all, but I do think they're downright classic. My late and honored father was into "biz cazh" _avant la lettre _(he didn't care for ties on an everyday basis, and could get away with sportcoat or blazer and slacks). He wore "gunboat" wingtips (Florsheim Imperials, IIRC) all the time and to my youthful eye looked pretty durned authoritative sporting those handsomely perforated bad boys on his dogs.


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## cosmotoast (Oct 11, 2008)

*Deep south*

Hello all,As you all are aware of the most recent popularity of wearing a sportcoat with jeans nowdays,I have noticed in georgia there is more and more people wearing black wing tips with blue jeans. Im not sure if we should just stand back and point and laugh at the southerners or be happy that there is at least a hint of knowledge of footwear other than "clod hoppers"
Cheers,Cosmo:drunken_smilie:


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## Gurdon (Feb 7, 2005)

*It is, in this case, a matter of personal preference*

In this instance, it really is subjective. Provided, however, you are not talking about those ghastly AE's. In the US you can (almost) always wear a pair of wingtips.

I generally do not like wingtips, especially the trad clunky American gunboat types. IMHO, those shoes really belong in another era. Having said that, I acknowledge that many people do not share my distaste for such shoes.

I have, nonetheless, a pair of Lobb Derbys, as well as a pair of EG correspondent shoes, both* of which I enjoy wearing. Neither of these has the off putting attributes of the gunboat shoes. Moreover, the Derbys seem to me to go well with Levi's when worn in conjunction with a sport coat. But then, I also wear (brown) captoes with casual clothes. (I do this because I really like the shoes and don't have many opportunities to wear business clothes.)

Regards,
Gurdon

* pairs and shoes


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## Mannix (Nov 24, 2008)

I like wingtips, they're very classic and timeless.


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## stant62 (Aug 6, 2008)

I love the look of wingtips and I think it works for both business and casual.


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## Crownship (Mar 17, 2008)

This thread is FUNNY. 
I couldn't stop laughing after the slapped hotdog. Oh man! This is great stuff.


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## Orkhis (Dec 16, 2007)

I love wingtips! In fact, I used to be in an Oi! band and we had a song about them.


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## JayJay (Oct 8, 2007)

I'm a huge fan of wingtips, and wear them regularly for both business and casual. I like wingtip boots for this time of year.


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## Rich (Jul 10, 2005)

To my mind wingtips are highly versatile. The broguing makes them suitable for more casual wear (boots and golf shoes especially), but the wingtip pattern gives them a "dressiness" that is compatible with a business suit (if they are slender wingtips with closed lacing, that is). A gent can probably get by 90% of the time with just half a dozen pairs of wingtips, ranging from say something like Church's Charles in black at one end to storm-welted longwings in burgundy cordovan at the other.


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## signal (Dec 6, 2008)

Mario said:


> If you're one of the two investment bankers who still has a job, only the MDs (Managing Directors) are supposed to wear wingtips in the hierarchy of things. Analysts/Associates wear loafers a lot, typically Ferragamo. Now though it may be gellies with triple-pleated khakis from GAP and a sweat-stained "wife beater" undershirt. And black socks.


Wow I am glad I don't work for such an organization. I think thats a little reaching for a standard to have been created that only MDs get to wear wingtips. I wonder what happens to the analyst who shows up to work in wingtips?


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## Wyvern1138 (Jun 3, 2006)

I usually wear wingtip bals with a suit as part of a less dressy ensemble, pairing them with a solid or the glen plaid, an OCBD and a striped tie. If I want a more formal look, I'll go for a solid or striped suit with a straight collared shirt, neat tie, and cap toe bals. I think you could go more somewhat more formal with wingtips than I usually do, but I would draw the line at a double breasted suit or French cuffed shirt, etc.

I like wingtip bluchers, but I would consider them a more casual shoe, perhaps intermediate between informal and casual. Even though broguing makes a bal less dressy, I think it makes a blucher more dressy, and I find the the wingtip blucher too dressy to wear without at least a sportcoat. They go best with a coat and tie, but I can see wearing them with a more casual or sporty suit, such as a seersucker or other Summer suit.


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## ilikeyourstyle (Apr 24, 2007)

I very rarely see wingtips in Toronto, but when I do, it's invariably a 50+ year old man wearing them. I guess from my biased perspective, they seem like something for older gentlemen to wear. I also think they look kind of ugly, and I definitely don't think they look good with jeans.


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## storeynicholas (Feb 15, 2008)

How do you cope with working in an organization in which there operates a kind of sumptuary prescription for dress?
NJS


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

I love wingtips and wear them at least two days a week. I wear a 12D (long, medium/narrow foot) and find the new AE MacClain a much better last than the venerable MacNeil, although I own a pair of them too. The MacClain is less clunky than the MacNeil. IMO, if your foot takes to that last well, get all three current colours of the MacClain, if you like wingtips.

My first non-AE shoe could well be a wingtip. I've seen some beautiful C&J and Alden wingtips.


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

ilikeyourstyle said:


> I very rarely see wingtips in Toronto, but when I do, it's invariably a 50+ year old man wearing them. I guess from my biased perspective, they seem like something for older gentlemen to wear. I also think they look kind of ugly, and I definitely don't think they look good with jeans.


Then you have absolutely no style, ilikeyourstyle. What is your idea of an attractive shoe that looks good with jeans?


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

Wayfarer said:


> I love wingtips and wear them at least two days a week. I wear a 12D (long, medium/narrow foot) and find the new AE MacClain a much better last than the venerable MacNeil, although I own a pair of them too. The MacClain is less clunky than the MacNeil. IMO, if your foot takes to that last well, get all three current colours of the MacClain, if you like wingtips.
> 
> My first non-AE shoe could well be a wingtip. I've seen some beautiful C&J and Alden wingtips.


The C&J would be a great place to start if you are thinking about branching out from AE. The Clifford is a real classic:

Here are some wingtip monks:

Ferragamo can also do some good wingtips, but they have a shape that is very distinctively Ferragamo:


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## Wayfarer (Mar 19, 2006)

gnatty:

Thanks for posting those pics. Yes, C&J could well be the choice. Monk straps. You know, when I first saw them in a shoe pr0n thread elsewhere, I thought there was no way I'd ever wear them. Then I bought a pair from Wright off amazon.com, as they were very cheap (and they look similar to the pair you posted). Now I love them. I even wear them with nice jeans and a sportscoat (don't tell anyone!) Just another example of how my wardrobe was expanded from seeing what the pros and high level amateurs are doing.

Btw, I have that exact same lawn furniture! Very durable stuff. From the chaise lounges with ottoman, to the table with lazy susan, to the bar style chairs for our outdoor kitchen bar. What I love about it is, the elements do not affect it and I can just power wash it down easily. 

Cheers.


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## gnatty8 (Nov 7, 2006)

Wayfarer said:


> gnatty:
> 
> Thanks for posting those pics. Yes, C&J could well be the choice. Monk straps. You know, when I first saw them in a shoe pr0n thread elsewhere, I thought there was no way I'd ever wear them. Then I bought a pair from Wright off amazon.com, as they were very cheap (and they look similar to the pair you posted). Now I love them. I even wear them with nice jeans and a sportscoat (don't tell anyone!) Just another example of how my wardrobe was expanded from seeing what the pros and high level amateurs are doing.
> 
> ...


Interestingly, I had the same epiphany. I never envisioned myself in monks either, and would not even give them a second look when I would be out browsing the shoe departments on the prowl for my next acquisition. On a whim, I bought a pair of black Tramezza monks about 6 months ago, and never turned back. I have added 3 more to my shoe racks since then, including a very nice Santoni double monk.

lol, that patio furniture is pretty distinctive I guess.. Isn't the stuff heavy as a bastard? That's what I like about it most; its as if they would survive an atomic bomb blast!


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