Bring on the ugly:
Chunky footwear’s all the rage
Forget everything you know about what’s considered acceptable footwear these days.
The fashion runways this spring and summer dictated a new enthusiasm for what were once traditionally considered “ugly” shoes.
T hink chunky, think clunky, and think orthopedic. The platform is vital and exaggerated to the extreme on heels and sneakers as well as the “flatform” — a flat shoe with a large platform.
Some of the most bloggedabout sandals this season have been the Arizona and Gizeh Birkenstocks: shoes once considered a staple for the hippy dippy granola set that are now making waves in the high-fashion world.
“White Birkenstocks are by far the most popular along with super chunky flatforms,” says Janis Galloway, a local style blogger from Dress Me Dearly.
Trailblazers Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen have been documented wearing Birkenstocks as early as the spring of 2011, speaking to an almost uncanny ability to anticipate the next footwear trend.
“The ’90s resurgence also helped bring Birkenstock and the chunky ‘ugly’ trend back for the fashion-minded consumer,” says Angela Brown, chief operating officer at Gravity Pope.
French ready-to-wear brand Céline was one of the first to the party when head designer Phoebe Philo debuted a fur-lined pool slider at the 2013 spring-summer runway show.
“Designers like Ann Demeulemeester, Marni and Celine helped make this ‘ugly’ trend transition into commercial footwear,” Brown says. “Over the past two years, we have watched fashion week footwear go from towering platforms to eccentric comfort and sport styles.”
Sport sandals are also back in a big way. Do you remember those wide-strap foot tans during the summer from your Velcro sandals? That memory is a reality again with the resurgence of the Teva sandal.
At Coachella 2014, the sport-sandal brand co-hosted an off-site party with hip New York City retailer Opening Ceremony to promote their upcoming collaboration. Californian blogger Rumi Neely of Fashion Toast appeared in the Universal-style sandal from Teva.
“Not many Edmontonians are embracing the trend, but those who are seem to be keeping it simple,” Galloway says. “You’ll see them paired with a casual pair of boyfriend jeans or a flowy, black tunic.”
Brown has seen Birkenstocks “paired with everything from linen suits to pretty summer dresses.”
As for the fate of the trend?
“What does have longevity from the trend is the concept of comfort,” Galloway says.
“I think we’ll be seeing way more designers styling models in flats and flatforms, as opposed to models teetering on ridiculous stilettos on the runway.”