The line between achingly chic and pervasively weird in fashion often resides in murky waters – especially when it comes to toe-exposing shoes.
Outlandish steppers have officially entered the chat of sartorial trends in recent seasons, and might just reign supreme as the ultimate outfit conversation starter. Inherently forthright in nature, conventionally grotesque in delivery, and guaranteed to catalyse a disapproving double-take, their rise in popularity has our utmost support.
What motivates the choice to flaunt a foot? A rejection of the unattainable clean-girl aesthetic could be a contributing factor – one that echoes a general fatigue surrounding polished, aspirational aesthetics constantly being drip-fed onto our algorithms. The mind wanders to other motivations… are toe-flaunting shoes a purchase into the kink economy of the internet, or a dismissal of the male gaze? Alternatively, foot confidence may just be a rising sentiment amongst the masses (your sign to get that pedicure).
Despite what you may think, it’s not merely a bleeding-edge trend. Rick Owens seems to be an expert on the topic, having recently started an OF account for his feet. Reason being? He deems the foot an ode to the process of aging. If anyone knows anything about the topic of conventionally brave shoes, Demna Gvasalia could provide a crash course on the subject. Simply cast an eye over to his final bow at Balenciaga, where he stepped out onto the runway in a pair of barely-there slippers, held together by the humble big toe.
Offensive to the untrained eye, an unhinged shoe that pushes the boundaries is quickly defaulted to ugly. Fear not, we are here to provide some justice for the toe, and whilst we’re at it, inject some heat into your shoe rotation.
Some have coined it as the footaissance, which has quite the ring to it.
The Vibram Five Finger
The internet always finds a way to breathe relevance into shoes that have been lying dormant since the dawn of time. Exhibit A: the Vibram Five Finger. Previously beloved solely amongst avid hikers and the quintessential rock-climbing archetype (pre-performative male), the offensive yet highly sought-after shoe is now a tell-tale sign of unabashed swagger. The masses required a touch of convincing, yet a collaboration with Balenciaga in 2020 got the job done and bestowed a second life upon the glove.
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Tabis
We are here to give our two cents to the debate that is avowedly on loop, the veteran side-eye provoker and the final boss of foot-exhibiting shoes, you guessed it: the Tabi. Anyway, I digress. The Tabi has cemented its place in an array of realms, from Japanese workwear to avant-garde circles grâce à Martin Margiela, to now being sported by every other influencer it seems. If the surplus of dupes is a dead giveaway, the Tabi may just be the apotheosis of a foot-forward shoe.
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Paw print
Vivienne Westwood has been advocating for foot visibility since her homage to Bacchus in her ‘Summertime’ Spring Summer collection back in 2000, which saw a novel take on the paw print. You would need to be glued to eBay or forever trawling Vestiaire to secure a pair of these highly coveted shoes – the archive worshippers don’t play when it comes to hooves à la Westwood. Kirsten Dunst braved them first at the 2005 MTV awards and flaunted them as a red-carpet wildcard. Now, 20 years later, the currency of nostalgia is having a second wind, with a throng of tapped-in girls taking notes from the early aughts.
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Toe separators
Curtsy shoes take the form of the all-too-familiar salon toe separators – before you raise a brow, let us explain. Platformed on a functional heel, the shoe boasts a playful flair on a perennial favourite, the sandal. Championing the toe indeed and sitting at sold-out status, we can confirm that toes may be sexy again. And with spring well and truly in motion, it’s time to let those puppies breathe after winter hibernation.
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Mesh shoes
A mesh shoe is what we would call a happy medium: the silhouette of the foot is accentuated, yet ten toes are not in direct eye-sight. There is a subtleness to this one. Fishnet material permits a free-flowing draft, without laying all the close-ups bare.
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Clear shoes
Clear shoes might be as close to Cinderella's slipper as can possibly be. Evolving beyond fairytales, and metamorphosing into a malleable Melissa jelly heel – the perspex mania is as clear as ever. Signalling French Rococo porcelain vases, the shoes embody an air of antiquity, yet make for the ideal pair for a modern muse to slip on and pound the pavement.
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