(Clockwise, from left: Boutique9, Elizabeth and James, Guess, Gianvito Rossi, Dune)

Shoes with pointy toes: they were acceptable in the 80s. And in the 90s. And for a good part of the “naughties” too. (Nope, still can’t write that without cringing…) And, for some people at least, it would seem that they’re acceptable right now, in the summer of 2012, too. Yes, the pointed toe is making a comeback, ousting the chunky platform from its position as top dog of the shoe world, and infiltrating shoe stores and closets around the world.

The question is: what do we all make of this development?

The Case for Pointed Toes:

Today’s pointed toes, you’ll no doubt be pleased to know, are just a little shorter, and a little  less pointed than their predecessors’. This means that although they still create that sharp, elongated silhouette, they stop short of making your feet look like canoes. Or some of them do, anyway. The pointed toe also creates a more elegant shape: most of these styles are minus the huge platform soles which have been around for so long now we’ve almost forgotten what height we are without them, and that may be welcome news for those of you who’ve spent the last decade or so in platform purgatory, wondering if you’d ever be able to buy shoes again.

The pointed toes also look good with things like super-skinny jeans and cropped pants, both of which continue to be popular. If you try to wear a chunky, round-toed platform with very narrow pants, you can end up being ALL FEET. Especially if the platforms in question are something like Jeffrey Campbell‘s Litas, say. Ahem. A more pointed toe, however, helps streamline the look, and can be more flattering than you might expect. Can be.

So that’s the good news.

The Case Against Pointed Toes

Despite all of the Good Things mentioned above, the fact still remains: for a lot of us, pointed toes can still look pretty dated, bringing to mind the neon stilettos of the 80s and, well, witches, basically. Not only that, but a longer toe obviously leads to the illusion of a longer foot, and if you thought those Lita’s were bad, you were totally right, just wait until you see someone in super-skinny jeans and shoes with a very long, pointed toe: you’ll think you’re looking at a golf club, seriously.

So, what’s the verdict, Fashion Jurors? Do you welcome the return of the pointed toes? Will you be embracing them, and digging some old pairs out of the depths of the closet, or will you simply slam the closet door, wedge it shut, and tell anyone who’ll listen that they’ll have to prise your rounded toes off your cold, dead feet?