'closed-toed' originates from the combination of 'closed' and 'toed', where 'closed' means 'shut' and 'toed' refers to the part of the shoe covering the toes.

'closed-toed' evolved from the need to describe shoes that provide full coverage to the toes, distinguishing them from 'open-toed' footwear.

Initially, it simply described the physical characteristic of shoes, and this meaning has remained consistent.