Why Did Men Stop Wearing Dress Shoes?

Video Description

Learn why men stopped wearing dress shoes in lieu of more casual styles: https://gentl.mn/men-stop-wearing-dress-shoes #dressshoes #casual #notsponsored SHOP THE VIDEO: → Dark Brown Two Tone Solid Oxford Socks Fil d'Ecosse Cotton - https://gentl.mn/two-tone-brown-socks GUIDES YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS: → Why Did Men Stop Wearing Hats? - https://gentl.mn/why-no-more-hats → Why Did Men Stop Wearing Waistcoats? - https://gentl.mn/why-no-more-vests → Myth or Magic: Are Goodyear Welted Dress Shoes Overrated? -https://gentl.mn/shoes-goodyear-welting → Men’s Classic Pajamas, Slippers, & Robes - https://gentl.mn/classic-sleepwear → Is It Worth It: Rolex Cosmograph Daytona - https://gentl.mn/rolex-daytona-review → 15 Men’s Style Trends We Hope Die Forever! - https://gentl.mn/terrible-style-trends → How to Dress Like James Dean - https://gentl.mn/james-dean-fashion → Steve McQueen: Gentleman of Style - https://gentl.mn/steve-mcqueen-fashion → What “Mad Men” Got Wrong - https://gentl.mn/mad-men-style-review → How to Build a Green & Sustainable Menswear Wardrobe -https://gentl.mn/green-wardrobe-gentleman-1 Want to see more videos? Subscribe to our channel! → https://gentl.mn/youtube Become a part of the Gentleman's Gazette community - support us on Patreon! https://gentl.mn/patron ________________________________________________________________________ Gentleman's Gazette https://gentl.mn/GG-homepage2 https://gentl.mn/shop-FB-accessories Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/gentlemansgazette FREE E-book: https://gentl.mn/free-ebook4 00:00 Men Stop Wearing Dress Shoes Introduction We’ve spent a lot of time resembling Rodin’s famous sculpture “The Thinker”, and with all that staring at our feet we had a lightbulb moment: Why did men stop wearing shoes? 00:42 History of Men’s Footwear It was around the time of the ancient Egyptians that footwear became more than just about practicality; as an extension of the class structure within their society, with only the most powerful and wealthy being able to don footwear at first. 03:32 The Rise of Casual Shoes When you think of casual footwear you probably have a pretty firm idea in your mind’s eye – things like boat shoes, sneakers, flip flops, and the dreaded “Franken-shoe”. Sure, it’s plain to see that when you put any of these examples next to a pair of dressy leather Oxfords, there’s quite a difference in the levels of formality. But, none of these shoe styles come out of nowhere. Like we’ve seen in our history of footwear so far they are the product of time and development. 06:44 Casual vs. Dress Shoes If you were in business, they wear a suit and dress shoes. On the more casual side of things, sneakers are starting to gain prominence in what men wore when they were not at work. It’s at the point in footwear history that we can see two clearly defined choices and the disappearance of the middle ground. You’d have a super formal shoe for work and some super casual sneakers for leisure, which was a big departure from having mainly formal shoes in your wardrobe. 09:25 A New Millenium As we look at the 2000s, we can see the divide between casual and formal become somewhat blurred and that there are no set rules about what is worn when. As society continues to change and flex, it’s easy to see how dress codes are being questioned. 11:40 The End of the Dress Shoe? So what is it about a dress shoe that makes it less attractive in today’s society? First up, they typically have a much higher upfront cost than casual shoes. A quality dress shoe will be made of leather, requires greater time and skill to make, thus resulting in a larger ticket price than a typical sneaker might. They require time and money beyond the initial purchase to help maintain them. Leather creams, polishes, and wooden shoe trees; these all come at a cost. You’ve also got to consider your time at shoe care routines as well. Dress shoes can also be uncomfortable at first and will require a little bit of time to break them in. 13:26 Conclusion Even though it might not be as every day as it used to be, the dress shoe isn’t dead as there’s a whole host of menswear enthusiasts out there who enjoy classic, quality footwear. If there’s anything that you can take away from this post, it’s that your wardrobe has space for things on both ends of the spectrum because there’s nothing worse than turning up to a wedding in your sneakers or taking a spin at the gym in your dress shoes. 13:59 Outfit Rundown