WORST SHOES EVER!! (yet big laugh at the same time!)

I look at these (and think about who they came from, two great companies) and can't help but think that when the designers were thinking about these, they were either incredibly drunk or just wanted to take the piss (have a joke), big time! The funniest thing is that they were actually being considered, having been made up for the A/W 2010 collaboration between Sperry & Band of Outsiders. Yet, thankfully, someone intelligent put the axe on production, and they never saw the light of day. Nevertheless, I just can't help but feel that this was just a big joke, because I am quite fond of both of these companies and the majority of shoes that they do, especially when it's done together, and simply cannot fathom them doing anything this ridiculous on a serious level. I mean, seriously, imagine a grown man walking down the street with these on? It would be just plain wrong, not only for the amount of fur on them, but for the sheer impracticality of them, but I guess that never stops anyone from doing anything, like making mega yachts that are one mile long and cost $2 billion/year just to maintain......what kind of world do we live in?????

Photos Courtesy Of: Selectism

Ugly Shoes -- Seriously?

I seriously wonder what goes through the minds of certain designers when they are creating shoes like these? Even more so, how stores/online shops think to buy them, assuming that they are going to sell. And on top of that, the people that actually do spend money on these things? It really makes you understand, just how different people's tastes can be. I mean, while some of you may hate my teal blue shoes, on the left side of this blog, I knew that they were not practical when I was making them. But as they are bespoke and the leather was available, I said, 'why not.' They at least are made in an elegant style and can look good with the right colors in the right season. But none of these, have an elegant, attractive nor practical nature about them. They are just ostentatious for the sake of being it. And I can understand that, because there are people that want to make a statement, to purposefully be different, but I believe that it can be done in a much more tasteful manner. Wearing shit on your feet just to do so, does not register in my mind as being different, but more like being loud because you just don't care.... Damn, these shoes are UGLY!!!

Ugly Shoes - Always Make Me Smile

When I see shoes like this, I can't help but feel sorry for the people that actually buy them thinking that they are cool and stylish. Granted, I come from the Western world, where views and norms are quite different than most third world countries, but I can't imagine that these could be seen as elegant or stylish in any sane person's eyes. It really makes you understand just how different people views/beliefs/opinions/tastes can be in other parts of the world. I mean, as a designer myself, I feel that if I took these shoes to Northampton to have a factory make them, they JUST might let me leave without giving me a black eye.

So when you think about the guy who actually designed these, in his mind, he was really believing that these were the 'bee's knees!' And the fact that a store may have bought them, to sell them to the public, just goes to back up his belief. It's crazy, that's all I really have to say. I am just glad that, where I live, these are not the only options I have to choose from, because it that were the case, I would just have to go barefoot everyday!! Enjoy the smile you will get looking at these :-)

UPDATE (June 8th, 2011) - It would appear that many people are misunderstanding what I was trying to say in this post, thinking that I was knocking 3rd world countries and saying that 1st world ones are perfect. NOT THE CASE AT ALL! (To back that up, read here - dedicated to 1st world inhabitants) What I was saying was that, IN MY OPINION, the ideology of how one should appear in public, is less conservative in many 3rd world countries as opposed to some of the Western world, such as the USA, where many men are afraid to wear what they truly like due to fear of being ridiculed. That being, I believe that (ugly) shoes such as this are more commonly accepted (in some 3rd world areas) because it is not as frowned upon to wear such things. If you still have a problem, and think that I am being stereotypical, then so be it.


-Justin, "The Shoe Snob"

Trying Too Hard - Baby Steps Before Leaps!

I don't know how many of you have noticed, but 2011 definitely started off as the year that bold colored shoes have become significantly more prominent in the shoe industry. For me this breakthrough is amazing, but the only downfall is that I feel that many of the shoe companies attempting to introduce more color into their shoe lines, skipped all subtlety and went straight for gaudy. Let's take Prada (pictured above), for example, who has been making all of the headway with their new tri-colored shoe with a sharp edge-cut sole trim and a one inch (2.5 cm) hemp braided sole with storm welt. Seriously??? That shit is ugly! I mean, I can appreciate the colors, but to then add all of this unnecessary stuff is just a little bit much. It's like the industry went from repressed black shoe producing to using 47 colors coupled with a space-aged sole on their shoes?? What happened to that middle step?

Obviously, 'designers' will be 'designers' but still, let's not carried away. Using colors outside of the normal spectrum for shoes should be carried out in an elegant way, or those who may have always been color-adverse, will be even more so when they see these monstrosities. Baby steps Mr. and Mrs. Designers of the world! Or else there will always be this divide between those who wear only black shoes and those who wear this crap here. It makes me wonder who they try and reach with this product. I guess that they are not looking to gain new clientele but instead only keep the one's they have happy. How do they grow, in terms of a business model? Maybe just by upping the prices? Because seeing these shoes, certainly would not make me want to go buy D&G or Prada products, it actually makes me want to avoid the store all together.



















What saddens me is that even Paul Smith, a company that I actually like, came out with some of this crap (pictured below). I mean, I don't think shoes made with reflector type looking pleather will ever be cool. And those pointy toes that could kill an ant in the corner of your room, just have to go. I know that these British companies make those, thinking that they are 'Italian style' but in reality, no Italian wears that pointy shit. They usually wear an elongated round toe, plain and simple. And who would ever think that Christmas colors would look good in a shoe (as Prada apparently did)? I could understand if they added white in there, to make the colors of the Italian flag but, they didn't, they added brown, of all the 'third' colors they could have added. It's just strange to me, it's almost like they were thinking, 'hey, let's take the three ugliest colors combined and put them into a shoe.' And viola, they achieved just that!! Now I hate to be a pessimist, but it is just strange that very few companies get it right, as the Japanese company, Saion, did in the post below. It really is not that difficult to create something different, but still have it be elegant and appealing. But hey, who am I to judge.........?

Some Pictures Courtesy Of: The Shoe Buff