Monday, October 22, 2012

Really really stoooopid shoes

As longtime readers may remember, I get a huge kick out of "fashionable" footwear for women. Living on a farm, nearly my entire shoe repertoire consists of sneakers, mud boots, and... well, sneakers and mud boots. (I also have some semi-decent flats for church wear.)

So whenever I see impractical high-heels that are so de rigueur among the fashionable set, I laugh since nothing but sneakers or mud boots would last above thirty minutes where we live.

Anyway, doubtless you've already seen this extreme and ultimate example of really really stooooopid shoes.


Sometimes fashion leaves me sputtering with disbelief, and this is why.


On the other hand, I fully realize these aren't, ahem, meant for everyday use and were simply created to make a point (no pun intended).


In this case, the shoes were designed by South African student artist Leanie van der Vyver as a "critique on the fashion industry's quest for perfection." She apparently designed the pair as a graduation project from the Gerrit Rietveld Academie in Amsterdam.

"I wrote my Thesis about how humans have been playing God with their bodies," said Leanie, "constantly searching for the ultimate perfection and I discovered that this perfection has reached a climax in the fashion and beauty industry. Heels can not get higher any higher."

She's right, of course. Although I might add, she might visit a ballet studio some day, as dancers use toe shoes all the time that achieve the same purpose with with a lot less agony.


If you want to see real agony, click on this link to see the shoes in action.

"Leanie's avant-garde design might seem extreme," concludes the article, "but they join a growing list of the out-there designs adored by eccentric celebrities like Lady Gaga, including Noritaka Tatehana's heel-less shoes to Alexander McQueen's gravity-defying creations."


I think I'll stick to sneakers and mud boots.

15 comments:

  1. This looks like it was designed by someone on drugs. I have long thought high heels, of the 'normal' kind were stupid for footwear anyway and have expressed the same to my daughters. They have not been receptive. If they lived in a more rural environment where common sense ruled over fashion I suspect that would change. Anyway this was a good laugh!

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  2. laughing, then speechless. All I can do is shake my head when looking at the pictures. As I've gotten older, the heals on my shoes have gotten lower, most of them flats, like my sneakers, loafers, hiking boots. Flats, my faves, mainly sneakers in the warmer weather and hiking boots for other stuff. Some shoes might look good but I remember walking in them, not fun. Thanks for the Monday morning humor. :o)

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  3. My wife tells me high heels were meant (at first) to accentuate a woman's legs. She and I both agree that that is true to some extent. She has some nice "high heels" that do just that, but the heels are only about 2-1/2 inches high. Anything that goes much higher than that is not only silly and unnecessary, but also bad for your feet and posture! We're convinced the fashion "experts" must actually detest women, because they try so hard to make them look absolutely ridiculous, as well as near starving them to death! --Fred & Deb in AZ

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  4. I saw these on a morning program and nearly spat my coffee laughing. She can't even stand up in them! I can't imagine the price tag! Bet her mama is so proud of that education LOL!

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  5. See, I looked at those shoes and thought "Oh! That would be a perfect foundation for a costume idea!"

    Renee

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  6. I'm with you. Who needs anything more than sneakers and a good pair of boots?
    Have a great week!

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  7. I feel the impulse to inject a dissenting opinion. I always enjoy these little visits to the dark side of the moon to observe otherwordly footwear.

    Being an art major myself, I'm frequently intrigued with odd shoes as art objects. I find the weirdness factor to be enormously entertaining. The creations here are particularly inspired.

    But for actual day to day wear...in my neck of the woods, it's flat work boots, just like y'all.

    Just Me

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  8. I have tried w/o avail to find me a pair of nice leather navy dress shoes that are not over 1-1/2" in heel height. 99% of the shoes out there today look as if you should be working a corner or a pole.

    dkswife

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  9. Hi Patrice, A roommate from many years ago once told me of a science fiction story she read where anthropologists from the future were looking at 20th century footwear and decided that women were slaves and that men had them wear high heels so they couldn't escape from captivity. When I look at TV, I'm always incredulous that on action shows women wear anything but flats as they chase down bad guys. I have always preferred flats for comfort and safety. Having been jumped once (attempted rape? robbery?) I felt the need for being able to run away from danger, something one can not do in 3 inch heels! I'm with you: sneakers and mud boots!

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  10. Ha ha, my husband said those are perfect for the farm. She walks in front offline the holes perfectly apart and another person with other shoes drops the see and covers it up!!!!;)

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  11. http://fkclinic.blogspot.com/2012/10/chicken-item-of-day.html

    Here ya go!

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  12. Those looking for sensible heels might try a dance store. They stock low heels that are comfortable. They are made to dance in, so comfort and fit is actually a consideration. I'm short and stocky. Heels make my legs look less masculine. I only wear them with a dress though so that means about once every 4 years. ;)

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  13. Makes my legs and feet hurt just looking at them......

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  14. Desert Survivals WifeOctober 28, 2012 at 4:39 PM

    Makes my legs and feet hurt just looking at them!

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  15. Desert Survivals WifeOctober 28, 2012 at 4:46 PM

    Just looking at these shoes make my legs and feet hurt! I wonder how many women would break an ankle in them? I know I would.....

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