Twenty years after they first hit the shelves, five-fingered shoes are apparently having a big fashion moment. But what is it like to wear them in public?
B
ack in January, Vogue made a bold headline prediction: “This Freaky-Chic Shoe Will Be Everywhere in 2025”. It had already been spotted on models and rap artists, and all over TikTok and Instagram. By summer, Grazia declared that “The split-toe trend that’s been quietly bubbling for years just hit the mainstream”, citing shopping app Lyst, which named the shoe as one of its top five most-searched items.
The freaky-chic shoe in question is the toe shoe – a lightweight, thin-soled trainer with separate, articulated toes. They come in a number of brands and styles, and while they may be popular, I can safely say they are not “everywhere”. Walking in them in public every day for a week, I never ran across another person wearing them. Anywhere.
The original toe shoe is the Vibram FiveFingers, which has actually been with us since 2006. The model I’ve chosen, the V-Alpha Hydro, has a 3mm rubber outsole and a 2mm foam insole, offering a close-to-barefoot walking experience. They’re primarily designed for outdoor training, hiking, barefoot running and general fitness, but they are not designed to look cool. The five separate pockets allow one’s toes to splay out more naturally, if not more attractively. Not for nothing did Vogue call FiveFingers “the fitness world’s most divisive shoe”.
