Consider Yourself Warned: ‘Ugly’ Shoes Are Trending Hard for Spring ’17
Despite what the opening scene of “The Devil Wears Prada” and its many stiletto-clad aspiring editors may have you believe, fashion loves an ugly shoe. Well, so long as its the right kind of ugly, that is. Clunky, clinical, and vaguely orthopedic-looking footwear has been elevated in recent seasons from fashion taboo to street-style staple—just look at the resurgence of Birkenstocks, Teva’s collaborations with Opening Ceremony and Nasty Gal, and, most recently, the gem-embellished Crocs Christopher Kane sent down the runway at his tenth anniversary show last month at London Fashion Week.
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For Spring 2017, designers have doubled down on their affection for all forms of maligned shoes: on top of the Crocs, there were flip-flops (Dolce and Gabbana, Alexander Wang, Dries van Noten), water shoes (MSGM, Markus Lupfer), Teva-esque velcro sandals (Emporio Armani, Maison Margiela, Anna Sui), and a second coming of the Chinese mesh slipper (Noon By Noor).
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Then there were those that presented new silhouettes sure to confuse most of the straight male population, such as Paco Rabanne, whose tube-sock-sandal hybrids my coworker helpfully described as “condoms for your feet,” and Gucci, whose four-inch flatforms were topped with wallpaper-floral ankle-boot uppers.
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And while sure, ugly-chic may not be for everyone, these will no doubt find plenty of fans among the more adventurous fashion crowd. Below, get a taste of what we’re all in store for next season with 21 of the most divisive pairs of shoes from the Spring ’17 runways.
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