Tolerance for "toe cleavage"? - YouLookFab Forum

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Tolerance for "toe cleavage"?

LaPed

Veteran

Wondering what others' take is on this issue. I don't think of myself as having particularly long toes, but I've been trying on some dressy flats and pumps lately and find a lot of them are not large enough in the toebox to cover my toes' "cleavage" and apparently the problem is not just mine, because I've had a couple photos come up in my newsfeed/social media that exhibit the same issue (see example below -- not my feet, they're from an online article). Is it just me, or does this look really inelegant? And doesn't that defeat the purpose of wearing a dainty shoe in the first place? How much visible toe are you willing to tolerate in your low-vamp shoes? For myself, I think the answer is none...

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Dressing

52 replies

Latest reply was from cindysmith

Sara L.

Veteran

Personally, I don't mind toe cleavage. I have pretty average length toes and sometimes they show, sometimes they don't. I don't usually worry about it.

Cardiff girl

Veteran

It’s not really a question that I ve considered before,in the grand scheme of things tor cleavage doesn’t seem that much of a style crime to me but if it bothers you offer those toes alittle more modesty in future.

Sal

Veteran

I don't mind my toes showing (in fact I prefer it in summer).

Do the shoes fit well and are they comfortable?

nemosmom

Veteran

My toes are a little long, and I don’t like my toe cleavage to show. It makes finding shoes - particularly flats and pumps- particularly challenging. So to answer your question, my tolerance is zero.

Janet

(website)

Veteran

I don't mind this at all. I don't care for extreme examples of this -- where it looks like so much of the toes are showing that they could pop out -- but the photo you show looks fine to me.

Gigi

Veteran

I don't mind toe cleavage. It's a good thing too, because several pairs of shoes that I love show toe cleavage. I think it's difficult to avoid.

LaPed

Veteran

Hah, so I went to read Wikipedia's take, and it seems that showing a certain amount of toe cleavage is actually considered desirable to many in the fashion world:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toe_cleavage

I hadn't even considered the sensuality/modesty angle. I just have large feet relative to my overall proportions and don't like to make them seem bigger, even though I'm not a strict adherent to many flattery rules in general. I also dislike the look of feet falling over the edges of sandals or d'orsays. So chalk it up to personal poison-eye, I guess.

Re: comfort, I don't think I've ever found a pair of classic pumps or ballet flats that I'd consider comfortable? Relative to other pumps or ballet flats, sure, but compared to a boot or oxford? No.

Anonymous

I have medium tolerance. I think there’s too much in the photo you show.

Suz

(website)

Veteran

I'm with Smittie. It rarely happens to me, first, because I can't keep pumps or low vamp flats on my feet in the first place, and secondly because I have short toes. But on others, I'm happy to tolerate a bit -- but when it gets too much, it just looks like ill-fitting shoes to me.

krishnidoux

Veteran

Toe clivage? What about too short shoe?

Anonymous

It's surprising because assuming those are your feet, and those shoes fit, you don't look like you have long toes to me either.

My tolerance is unlimited for other people and zero for myself. Not sure why but know it to be true.

LaPed

Veteran

Isabel -- photo is not my feet, just the example that sparked my thinking today because it came up in my newsfeed. I don't have any ballet flats or pumps so I can't post an example of my own.

But I am caually shopping around for something to wear to a New Years Eve engagement party and have been noticing how *small* toeboxes can be! It's so rare for me to get dressed up that I never think about this stuff.

Krish -- if anything, I err on the side of too big rather than too small, can't stand having my toes squished. But when I notice this, it usually happens throughout my range of potential sizes, not just in the smaller sizes.

Suz -- I can't really wear pumps or flats either. Like you, i have narrow heels so I walk out of them and will pretty much always opt for a higher vamp. But ankle-straps and t-straps seem to mitigate the issue. I'm curious, what do you do for cocktail-type attire? Booties if cold, sandals if hot? Do you ever feel your dressier boots are still too casual?

JAileen

Veteran

I have really long toes, so I have this sometimes. I just want the shoe to feel comfortable, and not feel like it’s going fall off.

If my toes weren’t so long - wow - I’d wear a normal size shoe..

Suz

(website)

Veteran

So, you are right -- cross straps and ankle straps are my friends. What I own is below. The Okala is more like a sandal -- can't really wear it with hose, so it's no good for cooler weather. I have a little bit of toe cleavage with that. A bit more with the Topshop. And no discernible with the EF. So I guess I exaggerated the extent to which I do not exhibit this fashion fault if fault it be!

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Eileen Fisher Eileen Fisher Tilda Stacked Heel Pump (Women) | Nordstrom

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Anonymous

Knew i should have grabbed the okalas! Grr!
It seems too much in the pic w the floral shoes, like they dont fit right.
My solution is dressy sandals or tall heeled boots, dont have anything in between (but dont have much in between weather). I don't go to really formal events though, just holiday parties and such.

Echo

Veteran

I am not a fan of toe cleavage at all. I rarely wear the style of shoe that allows for toe cleavage, but when I do, I make every effort not to buy shoes that show cleavage. It's just a personal pet peeve of mine; I don't like the look.

Peri

Veteran

I don't notice or mind it much, but I have to say in your picture it really does make it look like the shoe doesn't fit you. Like it's too big/long...it doesn't look comfortable, and that makes me uncomfortable! IRL though I doubt I'd notice. I rarely look at people's feet!

Anonymous

I know it used to be a desirable look, but I'm over it. Just looks like the shoes don't fit properly .

Elizabeth P

Veteran

Also not a fan.

Alexandra

(website)

Veteran

Not a fan of toe cleavage. If toes are going to show, then let them really show (as in, wear sandals and maybe show off some pretty nail polish too). And if they’re going to be covered, then let them be covered all the way, not with the wrong end sticking out like in an ill-fitting shoe. But that’s just for me. Other people tolerate toe cleavage just fine and I can’t say I pay much attention to others’ feet in real life.

Dianna

Veteran

My tolerance in myself is zero, but I can tolerate it on others.

Kathie

Veteran

If the shoes otherwise fit, and it’s just a little bit, on one or two toes, then I’m fine with it for myself. I have a hard enough time finding shoes that if I rejected everything with any toe cleavage I’d have very few pumps/sling backs.

Jaime

(website)

Veteran

Yikes! Never thought much about this, but I think I judge on a case by case basis.

Joy

Veteran

I don't mind some toe cleavage on myself or others. (Much more is bared wearing flip flops.) it is important that the shoes be comfortable and not pinkie pin hers.

K.M.

Veteran

I kind of like toe cleavage, but I guess it depends on the shoe and the outfit. I like how the toes show subtly in Suz's pics. I often wear shoes with similar cleavage. However I don't like the ones in the floral shoes in your post (I know they're not yours!). Maybe it's because every single toe is showing a cleavage.

But at the end of the day I think we all have differently shaped feet (you know the whole Egyptian, Roman, Etruscan etc.)? and obviously we can't all wear custom-made shoes. Sometimes I get irked by the attempt to make us all fit into a single mold and idealized model of beauty... so what if some of us will show a bit of toe and some won't, wearing the same shoes?...

Christina F.

Veteran

Maybe I don’t have this issue myself, because I don’t notice it at all on myself. Or others for that matter. I also agree wholeheartedly with K.M.’s second paragraph.

Jessikams

(website)

Veteran

I kinda like to see a bit, around the big toe in particular (why? No idea). But too much just makes it seem like the foot is about to come right out of the shoe.

I rarely get dressed up socially these days. Interested to see how you’ll handle footwear for a winter party.

Stagiaire Fash

Veteran

I completely agree with Jessikams first paragraph.

Toe cleavage first came on my radar a few years ago, when I heard that it is not permitted in offices with a formal dress code. I find that a bizarrely minute restriction.

Anonymous

I don’t have any issues with toe cleavage on anyone but I do cringe a little when I see a pinky toe hang out of a horizontal strap and off the edge of a shoe. For example, feet found on google ...
(that’s pretty much the only thing that I find unattractive/problematic)

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