Why Did Men Stop Wearing Dress Shoes?

About this video

The Gazette team explores the historical decline of dress shoes in men’s fashion, tracing footwear evolution from ancient Egypt through the present day. They examine how casualization of menswear, workplace dress code relaxation, celebrity influence, and the rise of athleisure and sneaker culture have contributed to dress shoes becoming less common, while arguing that quality dress shoes remain valuable for formal occasions and deserve a place in a well-rounded wardrobe.

Key takeaways

• The Gazette team traces dress shoe history from ancient Egypt through the Renaissance (when men wore high heels), the Industrial Revolution (rubber soles), and mid-20th century influences like James Dean and Steve McQueen, showing footwear evolved as both status symbol and practical item
• The Gazette team argues that the shift away from dress shoes accelerated in the 1980s-90s with the rise of sneaker culture, celebrity endorsements (Chuck Taylor, Michael Jordan), and the split between formal work wear and casual leisure wear, eliminating the middle ground
• The Gazette team identifies that modern workplace casualization, lower upfront costs of sneakers, minimal maintenance requirements, and comfort preferences have reduced the perceived need for dress shoes, though they contend dress shoes offer better long-term value and environmental sustainability than disposable sneakers
• The Gazette team recommends maintaining dress shoes in your wardrobe for formal occasions like weddings, as they argue a complete menswear wardrobe should include both formal and casual footwear options

Episode details: published January 17, 2022 · 257K views · 14:31 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. The style guidance summarized here is the Gentleman’s Gazette team’s own teaching and opinion, presented for education; product recommendations are theirs, not ours. Summaries are written by Self Growth Videos from each video itself.

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