When I first started making shoes I was infatuated with a sidelace shoe design, and recently I had a client commission such:

This navy and grey spectator sidelace oxford with a U-tip toecap worked out nicely for the customer due to scar tissue on a metatarsal-phalangeal joint. I was able to keep any seams from overlapping the joint while allowing for the appearance of equally proportionate shoes. Here they are on the customers feet with some far out socks!

Here is some older work of a less busy sidelace design: