GETTING THE SKINNY; MEN SHOULD NOW BE FOLLOWING THE STRAIGHT AND NARROW -- AT LEAST WHEN IT COMES TO THEIR SHOES.

Footwear News, July, 2004 by Schneider-Levy, Barbara

Byline: Barbara Schneider-Levy

For men who can't seem to count those carbs, no sweat. Even if their waistlines aren't getting slimmer, their feet can certainly look it as toe shapes continue to make the move from square to skinny.

Now don't let the term "skinny" scare you or your customers away. While there are extremes in everything, these updated toe characters are never severe. They're simply more streamlined and a whole lot sexier.

Footwear designer Todd Welsh warns that when doing narrower silhouettes, brands should make sure they never end in a point. "If there is a taper or wall to the last, it can't come to a point -- it has to be angular or asymmetric," said Welsh, noting that blunt is better.

But footwear is not the...