Why Are We Freaking The Feet For Fashion?

How does one “go outside and touch grass” in a concrete jungle? What can we do to remember that we have corporeal bodies that exist outside of our online personas? According to Blackpink’s Jennie, Doechii, Balenciaga and a growing faction of the Internet, a thinning of soles and the separation of the toes is the way to go. Specifically, wearing Vibram’s FiveFingers. But why?

It’s not exactly a groundbreaking silhouette for a shoe, because this eccentric Vibram silhouette has actually been floating around the online world since 2002. Designed to replicate the sensation of walking barefoot while offering minimal protection, this shoe comes from the barefoot movement, which is this idea that shoes are oppressive and changing the natural shape of our feet. In addition to that, it is also believed that having a closer contact and better grip of the ground could help us better physically and spiritually connect with nature, while less shoe sole also means a lesser environmental impact from the making of the show.

In other words, the FiveFingers has stayed firmly in the purview of those who shopped strictly for serious performance gear or eco-friendly ware, and as expected of most ergonomic explorations of dress, were rarely a welcome sight outside any eco or health-related context. It basically only belonged on the feet outside of public consciousness — no one needed to know you endorsed exposed-toe shoes.

So why is it suddenly everywhere now? Fashion’s favourite oddball Balenciaga first dipped its toes into the world of toe shoes with some booted Vibrams in its Fall Winter 2020 collection, before moving on to the suggestive and anatomic ‘Fetish’ flats, last year’s barely-there Balenciaga Zero, and most recently, what looks like a new phalange-celebrant contender — an unreleased sporty-soled footprint sandal titled the “Coachella”. Maison Margiela’s Tabis have also seen its rise in mainstream popularity of late, so much so that the prices of the flats have more than doubled between last and this year. But the rise of this cult favourite requires a longer examination elsewhere — this story focuses less on hooves but the more (subtly) erotically-driven interest in outlining the existence of all 10 toes, whether in the flesh or not.

This foot fetish is more palpable in a plebeian sense because its interest extends beyond the counter-culture ideas those brands are known for selling. Suicoke’s SS25 collection reimagines toe shoes in more minimalist, modern, and refined variations, tapping on new-age tastemakers like Midorikawa and Masayuki Ino of Doublet to relate the image of the Vibram FiveFingers less with hiking trails, and more with an urban, stylised context. The return of flip-flops (cue overpriced pairs from The Row or the new Havaianas collabs with Dolce&Gabbana, Zellerfield and Gimaguas) also shows our openness to naked foot sightings, and at large, a spike in today’s appetite for virality via provocation.

The very reason for the rejection of FiveFingers — its visual oddity and conversation-starting appeal — is only half of why “FiveFingers” is on the cusp of every cultural influencer’s lips (or toes) right now . “Functional freak” becoming an ideal today is reflective of our obsession to perform with a counter-cultural sensitivity that is also eco- and health-conscious. The FiveFingers is furthest away from the “basic” sneaker silhouette, but was never created to fulfil an aesthetic gap in the footwear industry; the number of feet pics in the wild from both the pick-me girls and outdoorsy finance bros show a special resilience in today’s boom and bust shoe trend cycle. You could consider earlier interpretations as gestures in solidarity with the bygone “ugly sneakers” movement. But today’s styling notes are more nuanced, and depict a more careful choice in engaging with the dressing of phalanges.

In a time where the strange becomes desirable and innovation trumps convention, the FiveFingers has become the perfect feed fodder for those whose sole purpose online is to find out how next to be “not like other girls”. How much closer one actually feels towards and of the environment of their healthiest selves is a different story; apart from Vibram’s campaigns, rarely are these toes gripping onto actual nature, instead backdropped against clean expanses of concrete and tiles. Only time will tell if all this toe cleavage is a true anomaly in the trend game or if the dogs are here for nothing more than a walk in the park.