The wingtip shoe is the uniform of the businessman.
Since the mid-20th century, wingtip shoes have been part of the uniform of the white-collar businessman. Wingtips, the lace-up semiformal shoes worn with a suit and tie to the office, take their name from the ''W'' shape stitched onto the toe plate. The stitching resembles the wings of a bird in flight. Other features of the wingtip shoe include tiny perforations, serrated or pinked edges, and a distinctive motif on the toe cap.
Scottish Origin
Wingtips are Scottish in origin and were originally called ''brogues.'' In 1773, English writer Samuel Johnson saw locals wearing the shoes on remote islands off the west coast of Scotland. The ''broguing,'' or perforations punched into the shoe, provided ventilation and drainage. The Scottish and Irish peasants who wore brogues often waded into bogs or creeks, so the perforations allowed water to drain from their shoes.
Country Estates
In the 19th century, a more evolved style of brogue was worn by English country gentlemen, along with trousers and tailored jackets. These shoes were double soled and thickly leathered, perfect for hiking. Gradually, the middle class began to adopt this style of dress. By the end of the century, the ankle boot of the businessman was replaced with the brogue, which had evolved into a wingtipped business shoe. The shoe had lost its association with the country and landed, instead, in the office.
The '50s
Wingtips came into their own in the mid-20th century. They were the shoes Fred MacMurray wore in his role as single dad Steve Douglas in the 1960s comedy series ''My Three Sons.'' Wingtips had what men valued most in a shoe: masculine style and comfort. Their forgiving fit left room for size fluctuations as the wearer aged and his foot grew. For decades, wingtips were ''the ultimate grown-up shoe,'' said writer John Kelly of The Washington Post. ''It is a shoe for adult males,'' Kelly wrote in 2005, ''the way a suit and tie is an outfit for adult males.''
New Audience
Traditionally available only in black or brown leather, wingtips were available in two-tone by the mid-20th century. They were adapted for use by women in the 1960s, but these wingtips retained their masculine styling. At the 2010 fashion shows, runway models sported women's wingtips in flashy colors and stiletto heels. They were worn with skinny jeans, leggings and, of course, the business suit.
Mod Wingtips
After women's shoe designers put a twist on the traditional wingtip, the men's footwear industry began experimenting with the classic design as well. The traditional ''W'' bird-wing now appears on casual shoes such as sneakers and men's mesh summer footwear. College students are wearing wingtips in nubuck. Wingtips in their new permutations are appealing to a more casual, younger demographic, but in classic form, they continue to be the shoe of the white-collar business professional.
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