Pointy Toe Shoes for Men

by smitikumar

Ever wondered about those pointy toed men’s shoes?
Since there is no escaping them (they come in all shapes, sizes and colors. My favourite ones are those which end with a pronounced flourish), might as well know what they’re called.

Yes they have a name!

Winklepickers!! You just got to love that name!!
The shoe according to Wikipedia gained popularity among British rock and roll fans in the 1950s. The Beatles apparently were keen on one version of it. The shoes get their name from the long, pointy toes reminiscent of medieval footwear.

And that totally explains why each time,I see someone sporting one of these (specially the one’s with the flourish) I can vividly imagine the wearer perform a very graceful, impromptu pirouette and dematerialise. Oh and would you believe it, I recently enrolled for a salsa class and my trainer wears a very nice, flourishy pair and does the most graceful spins (doesn’t dematerialise though sadly). It’s straight out of a Disney movie!!

So why are they called winklepickers? It seems the English are very fond of snacking on ill fated crustaceans called periwinkle snails. They pick them out of their coiled shells using a sharp, pointy pin called- you guessed it- the winkle picker!