Picture this: you’re scrolling through your carefully curated fashion-focused IG feed, where clothes crop up at every second scroll. What is going to make you stop and pay attention? Feety fashion hybrids might just make you take a second look at what’s on your screen.
But fashion’s fascination with feet isn’t entirely new. Maison Margiela Tabis are everywhere, with Martin Margiela first unveiling the coveted Tabi boot in 1988. It was inspired by the Japanese tabi sock, designed to separate the big toe from the rest of the foot, and has remained a divisive silhouette ever since.
Italian label AVAVAV is no stranger to cooking up a surrealist storm, with food fights, half-dressed models, and fun-poking at the fashion industry all feature in its output. One of its most viral products is the Finger ankle boots, which fuse fingers and feet to playfully alter a traditional ankle boot. These are trickier to pull off than Tabis, but weirdly look really good with baggy denim, which we saw in a social media campaign.
Beyond making foot-shaped statements, there is some practical reasoning behind other toes-out trainers. Take Kiko Kostadinov’s partnership with Los Angeles-based art gallery Morán Morán, Otto 958, who recently teased a collaborative Suicoke Vibram Finger sneaker. Technically, the Vibram Five Finger shoes enable wearers to rely on their own biomechanics and can alleviate common joint issues (unless you're wearing the Rihanna-approved high-heeled Balenciaga version). Still, their semi-arresting “gloves for your feet” look gives fashion heads something to talk about.
Fashion has often favoured the divisive, with items considered ugly by some being loved by others. In an age where social media relevance and virality are metrics used to measure a brand’s success (just take a look at the Lyst Index, which takes into account sales, social media mentions, activity, and engagement), anything outside of the ordinary, like getting your toes out, is a great way to engage people in a brand or product.
Take a look at some of our favourites below.
Cover image: @192ssara
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