I was confused on the timing myself--I was wondering why pointy-toes were not "in"
It is a good discussion of how pointy and other features that might make one pair work and another not.
Still it drives me crazy that just a tweak of a style difference may send a shoe to the graveyard. I can't tell if that means, just buy one or 2 pairs of shoes per year, or stay in the middle (almond toe) or both, or just toss in the towel!
I have 2 pairs of Clarks short boots with squarish toes. Last year I could tolerate that but this year I don't want to wear them, as the prevalence of pointy styles makes the square look more square. My almond-toed boots manage to bridge the style gap but the squarish ones stick out. It's my choice, made after wearing them some and just finding, no love there.
So now I'm trying to decide--keep because they may "come back," or just toss because it could be several years and then--they wiil be not the right kind of square, right heel, all that.
I only even noodle on it because a squarish toe box can be more comfortable than sharply tapered styles, and so I'm much more likely to embrace what's trending when it provides some other benefit like foot comfort, which for me, pointy-toes do not.