A Thread about the second coming of the toe shoes
Get ready for a split-toed summer
Last year was the first time I went viral. Well, moderately viral, after a manic, heatwave-induced newsletter made the rounds of a then-pretty-nascent Substack ecosystem. The newsletter was about my impulse purchase of a pair of subversive summer shoes - Vibram’s FiveFingers, the weird, climbing-adjacent footwear designed around the idea that each digit deserves its own dressing.
It was the height of summer, and the feeling was frenzied. Zillenials were riding the crest of a lime green wave; Brat summer was out in force, encouraging us to be the messiest, most chaotic versions of ourselves. As the saying goes, “if the shoe fits” - and the shoe did fit! No footwear fused Charli’s hedonistic, risqué glamour with Julia Fox’s man-repelling style edict better than Vibram’s pied-de-résistance (yes that’s a pun on the French word for “foot”).
Like Charli, the FiveFingers were a niche favourite that had finally hit the mainstream. After years gaining traction with the underground, both cultural entities had finally collided headfirst with the Zeitgeist.
But as the dog days of summer began to cool, could the hype last? After all, trends have a shelf life of approximately 5 minutes these days. For Charli, demure Autumn threatened to topple her reign. For the FiveFingers, it was the simple fact that barefoot ballerinas aren’t very Fall-friendly. Feeling the warm, sun-drenched pavement beneath one’s feet is one thing, but a wet puddle seeping between your toes? Non merci.
But instead of tumbling into the ether of yesterday’s trends, both Charli and the FiveFingers managed to ride the wave into another year of hype. Just as Brat summer 2.0 appears to be upon us, so too, the second coming of the FiveFingers is nigh. If you thought these flights of phalangeal fancy were a blip on the trend radar, think again.
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I think fashion's interest in feet has been warming up for a while. Firstly, Margiela Tabis have gone fully mainstream now (almost to the point of being kinda done… (don’t shoot the messenger!)). A single toe split simply doesn't cut it anymore.
The return of Phoebe Philo also marked the return of her Phoot Phetish - remember those nude heels she did for Céline SS13 with the painted toenails? If you look at both the shoes and the campaign imagery from her new line, it’s all very foot-y and erotic - shoes dangling between toes, paper thin leather, toe cleavage etc. And few designers command as much influence on what women wear than Phoebe, whose eponymous brand is now firmly back in the fashion conversation.
Feet themselves have been having a cultural moment - just the other day I found myself explaining wikifeet to my appalled mother, as well as the growing cottage industry of selling foot pics online.
I’m not suggesting that wearing FiveFingers is equivalent, but their subversive aesthetic has shock factor, which means they provoke a reaction on social media. Reaction = engagement, and everyone wants that. And if it sounds like I’m being judgey here, I should know! I delight in shocking more toe-resistant audiences by waggling my be-vibramed feet.
On a more serious note, another reason the FiveFingers are poised for a second summer of success is thanks to their excellent and alluring brand strategy. As an emotionally invested (if not actually invested - Vibram IPO when??) fan girl, I’ve made it my business to track down the person behind the rise and rise of FiveFingers.
From what I can unearth, the talent in question is Abby Bucknall, formerly Brand Creative Direction at Napariji, now the Global Head of Marketing for FiveFingers. I started noticing her work when the brand dropped this gorgeous Lunar New Year campaign, followed more recently by a new brand film (below).
In a LinkedIn post, Abby says: “With everyone focusing on running clubs and content, we ask ourselves what is next, how can we make the gym category something that stands out. Since I joined Vibram FiveFingers we have been trying to find our visual language and I feel 7 months later we are setting the tone for the future of the brand.”
The visual language she refers to feels somewhere between Bong Joon Ho’s eerie, opalescent glamour, mixed with Gabriel Moses’ shadowy, bluish aesthetic. It’s tactile and purposeful; it looks like how wearing the shoes feels.
As with any other area of culture, sport and wellness tastes move in cycles. The running bubble has to burst soon, meaning another activity will take its place in the sun. With all trends pointing towards longevity, it makes sense that strength training and gym workouts might be the next exercise-du-jour. Personally, I think the Ozempic boom could also move things in this direction - with the pendulum swinging back from waifishness to carefully-conditioned physical strength.
But despite the buzz, what’s interesting is that FiveFingers the brand aren’t really playing into their own hype. I don’t see them reacting directly to any of the chatter around them - instead they’re opting to let the subculture of split-toed fans propagate independently of the brand itself. That kind of strategy feels more timeless, even if it might be tempting for the brand capitalise on the trend in the short term.
That said - it’s not like they’re letting trending moments pass them by either. A couple of weeks ago, Doechii finally dropped her ‘Anxiety’ music video. The shoes she chose to wear? The FiveFingers V-Soul. Brat summer might belong to Charli, but this year is Doechii’s. And if Doechii is officially endorsing the toe shoe lifestyle, that can only mean one thing… we’re so back.
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Threads of the week
Wearing an outfit from Ronan Mckenzie’s brand, Selasi, which she discusses in this episode of the Threads of Conversation podcast.
Loose Threads
My brother wrote a book!! I finished reading it yesterday and - despite having already heard most of the jokes/ stories in it - it made me both laugh and cry. The book, titled ‘Yardsticks for Failure’ recounts 15 comically chaotic episodes from the past few years, as he juggles a successful comedy career, life as a single dad, and processing the loss of one of his best friends. It also includes accounts of some of his standout looks - including The Big Suit. It’s out on the 22nd May and you can pre-order it here.
Two of my favourite newsletter writers on one pod!
I discovered this podcast with Zadie Smith via Phoebe Lovatt’s latest ‘Footnotes’ - like Zadie, I always find Phoebe’s insights stimulating, self-aware and wise.
Speaking of podcasts, this is how I imagine you listening to mine.
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Will you be investing in a pair of toe shoes this summer? If not, what will you be wearing instead? Let me know in the comments.
The vibram v-souls have been on my mind for almost 2 years now and i never managed to makeup my mind on getting them, last month i finally decided and they were sold out. It is gonna be a spilt toe summer