Split-Toe Shoes: What’s the Deal?

There are like three types of dress shoe that get almost all the attention: brogues, loafers, and balmorals. Indeed my own shoe closet is filled with just those, aside from boots. Double monks enjoyed a resurgence ten years ago, and while they still have popular billing in the mainstream, they’ve fallen out of favor in the style-conscious menswear circles that made them popular.

However, there is a style of dress shoe that has maintained a consistent, low profile popularity, lurking just under the surface enough not to gain widespread fame, and therefore also avoiding major backlash like the double monk. I’m talking about the split toe shoe.

Often accompanied by the descriptor “Norwegian,” a split toe is a type of derby shoe with a seam running down the front of the toe. There is then an apron sewn on top that forms a ridge running along the top, sort of like a moccasin. Bespoke shoemaker Nicholas Templeman described that the purpose of a split toe was originally to achieve greater waterproof qualities in this Styleforum post.

The “Norwegian” moniker is separate from and unrelated to the split toe style, although because the names are so often put together they’re often synonymous (like Kleenex, Google, etc.). Norwegian is a method of attaching the soles of the shoes that is, naturally, more waterproof.

The next dress shoe I get will probably be a split toe. I tried on The Armoury’s Jubilee suede split toe when I was there a couple years ago, and loved it. It fit well, and has just the right low profile I’m looking for. Split toes can be either very rustic looking or quite sleek. I am attracted more to the sleek styles, which the Jubilee is.

Below are a few split toe shoes on the market. The king is the Edward Green Dover, but if that’s a bit too rich for your blood (like mine), fear not, there are others in a much more achievable price range. Honestly I like the Beckett Simonon dress shoe last so much that I’m very tempted to get their Clegg split toe in oak leather. Meermin also makes a split toe shoe in a dressier configuration that looks good.

Split toe shoe options

The king: Edward Green Dover (Sid Mashburn’s makeup looks outstanding)

The mid-range: Armoury Jubilee (my choice) | Crockett & Jones Hardwick | Carmina NST

The budget: Beckett Simonon Clegg | Meermin

 

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