The newest bizarre — and frankly hideous — footwear trend called “big-toe” heels has quite unfortunately descended upon us, and they’re giving other ugly shoe front-runners like Crocs, Birkenstock and the dreaded Vibram Five fingers a real run for their money.
The unsightly shoes — which loudly expose the big toe while the rest are covered, like in a regular heel — debuted on the catwalk for Paris-based brand Y/Projects’ spring/summer 2018 collection. But the heels really turned heads at last year’s spring/summer 2019 show, paired with the designer Glenn Martens’ whimsical designs.
Even more disturbing is the fact that the shoes — that go for upward of $1,000 — are selling out like hotcakes, including a black-and-white floral leather open-toed mule version,according to Lyst’s website.
Strangely, the big toe seems to really be having a moment, while other high-fashion brands like Phoebe Philo’s Céline have also hopped on the freaky bandwagon, with a line of similar heels, Pirate Leather Sandals, that only cover the big toe and reveal the rest for $695.
Somehow, these are also sold out as the #BigToeShoe craze hits Instagram.