The obsession with ugly shoes

The newest re-emergence from the long-lost 90's archives many thought they'd never see again - the ugly shoe. Flat mule boots emblazoned with Adidas stripes in clashing colours, exaggerated bubble rubber in a drab tan colour, spindly bright blue kitten heels or simply a pair of tattered Victorian-looking brown pumps, or just generally the ugliest pair of shoes you could imagine are making their way into the designer catalogues this season. Done right, it can be just the perfect amount of kitsch needed to add extra dimension to a winter outfit. And when it's done wrong, it's done incredibly wrong. With especially daring micro-trends such as this, it's hard not to wonder whether some of its followers don't genuinely agree with it. Or perhaps, they are just buying into it because they've seen them worn on Pinterest. For example, Bella Hadid favours the ugly shoe, often sporting unconventional trainer and boot choices. Her favourite, the original Adidas Sambas, which have taken the entire fashion world by storm, greatly inspired the looks using archive vintage Adidas footwear. It's also designer names like Salomon, Asics and Kiko Kostinadov which provided a gateway into the trend for casual shoppers. 

It's the mish mash of texture - plastic, metal, fabric, rubber - that makes these shoes so intriguing. Styled with the right pieces, they can be the most effective piece in your collection showing you have the skill to take them on. But are they just a micro trend? Too expensive, exclusive and garish for an every day wardrobe? 

In my opinion, the ugly shoes' offshoots - "gorp core" Kostinadovs that look futuristic but can be worn with anything, or Asics in eccentric colourways are here to stay - being equal parts comfy, casual, and striking.