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What do you think about TOMS Shoes?

I don’t like them. Since this seems to be hotly disputed on the ‘net for some reason, I’ll give my reasoning:

First off, the shoes are ugly by themselves. Men’s espadrilles have their place, but not in everyday wear, and certainly not in some of the styles TOMS sells them in. The construction of the shoes reminds me of prison clothing, and many of the patterns feel so hipster-ish that they may as well come with a pair of thick black frames. The price they charge (even assuming you’re buying two pairs — one for yourself, one that gets donated) is exorbitant, and fails to match the quality of the construction, material, or style.

Second off, I can’t imagine what TOMS go with, other than (perhaps) shorts or relaxed summer-y pants. Slip-on espadrilles look terrible with most jeans and don’t even look decent with socks, so they are only good to wear during the summer. The pictures they include on their website of (hipster-y) people wearing their shoes aren’t very helpful, as the ideas are terrible. While I’m sure they could be woven into a few select outfits, it would require quite a bit of work to make them look anything but out-of-place.

In short, while I like the idea of helping provide shoes to the needy, I think TOMS is a hipster fad that really doesn’t translate well into a man’s wardrobe. Women may find the shoes cute for some special purposes, but I think the shoes don’t work for an average man’s wardrobe, even in the summer context. If you want a good summer shoe, consider basic canvas plimsolls, boat shoes, or the like — shoes which not only last longer, but which will be more acceptable when this whole fad dies off.

Tags: Fashion, Shoes, style, TOMS Shoes