Round-toed shoes come in lots of varieties. (SESTO SENSO)
Round-toed pumps and boots are the favored footwear among women in their twenties this winter. This marks a big change, given that pointy-toed shoes have more or less ruled since the mid-1990s. As early as 2004, trendy designers Chloé and Miu Miu were presenting round-toed shoes in their collections, and footwear with blunt contours was appearing in shop-window displays. Some fashion-forward women adopted the new style, but support for the sharp-toed look was deep-rooted, and the rounded shape did not become a major trend until recently.
Shoe Styles Mirror Clothing Trends
Clothing styles and shoe styles are linked, and the head-spinning pace of fashion trends in the modern era has made this connection more apparent. A new fashion look brings with it a pronounced change in shoe designs.
Thus the billowy circular skirts of the 1950s were worn with heeled pumps; the miniskirts of the sixties with long boots; the bellbottom jeans of the seventies with platform boots; and the body-hugging dresses of the eighties with high heels. The casual fashions of the early to mid-1990s ushered in a sneaker craze. And the trendy young "gals" of the late 1990s teetered around the boutiques and clubs of Shibuya in platform boots and sandals that increased their height by up to 15 centimeters. The 1990s also saw the beginning of a jeans craze, which in turn fueled the popularity of other pant styles among women. As a sleek complement to pants-based fashion, pointy-toed shoes found favor and enjoyed enduring popularity.
Shoes as a Harbinger of Fashion
Now jeans and other pants are out of favor, and a newfound taste for classical, refined, feminine styles has brought about a major shift from slacks to skirts. Round-toed shoes have emerged as the footwear accompaniment to these skirts.
Round-toed shoes not only are comfortable but also go well with a variety of styles. These benefits are readily apparent to anyone who tries on a pair. So appealing are the new shoe styles that some women who have never worn feminine clothing before are starting to adopt dresses and miniskirts as the ideal complement to their round-toed shoes. Historically, clothing styles have driven shoe styles. But in this case, it is the other way around.
(Trend in Japan, December 18, 2006)
