A brand that continually pushes the boundaries has come into the spotlight for its latest polarizing design: shoes that flaunt just one big toe.
Y/Projects ‘open toe’ shoe is retailing at close to $1,000 and by the looks of things, the style is selling out fast.
The unusual shoe design originally appeared as part of the Paris-based streetwear label’s Spring Summer 2018 collection, but it seems that its popularity abounds as it was seen on the catwalk again this year.
Would you? Y/Project’s ‘open toe’ shoe takes the phrase very literally, revealing just one big toe while concealing the others
Controversial: The toe-revealing shoes, as seen above, are a typically avant garde design for Y/Project, a label which has made headlines for its unusual designs countless times
For Spring/Summer 2019, Glenn Martens paired his signature offbeat garments – like deconstructed denim with two waists – with the interesting shoes.
A spare $1,000? The white leather open toe shoe by Y/Project is virtually sold out, but eager fans can snap up any remaining ones for $985
Models pranced down the catwalk with just their big toes peeping out of various shoe styles.
When the shoes made their way onto luxury e-commerce sites, they seemed to be snapped up in record time, with most of them already sold out.
A rosebud-printed pair in white leather is currently retailing on Stylebop for an astonishing $985.
A similar style in plain black is on sale in one size only, slashed to $572.
Meanwhile, a red version of the patent leather pumps sold out on Browns and FarFetch, after debuting on the luxury fashion sites for $664.
Y/Project has hit the headlines several times before.
The brand, a favorite of Gigi Hadid and the Kardashians, has previously launched $300 denim hot pants, crotchless jeans, $260 earrings that look like Slinky toys and a collaboration with Ugg that saw thigh-high versions of the sheepskin boots.
Catwalk: The unusual shoes were seen on the runway this year as part of the Spring/Summer 2019 collection
Runway: The open toe shoes were a staple of Glenn Martens’ collection earlier this year
Sold out: The unusual shoes are sold out online, evidently finding fans in Y/Project’s daring customers
Unique: They come in various overall designs and colors, each with the big toe sticking out
Fashion fans were quick to point out the similarities between Y/Project’s footwear and an infamous shoe released by Céline during innovative designer Phoebe Philo’s tenure.
The original ‘Pirate Mule’ was considered equally as much a divider as the Y/Project release.
Philo’s style, launched in 2017, concealed just the big toe while letting the remaining digits be visible.
Evidently still popular, the quirky shoes can fetch up to $1,000 on resale sites like eBay, The Real Real and Depop.
Pirate: Phoebe Philo’s Pirate Mule for Céline took a similar approach, but instead of revealing just one toe they concealed it
Street style: Australian stylist Christine Centenera was one of the first to wear the Céline Pirate Mules out and about
Tabi: Maison Margiela’s Tabi boots have been a consistent style for the label since the 1980s
In terms of shoes that draw attention to toes, no one can forget Maison Margiela’s Tabi boots, which debuted in the late 1980s.
The avant-garde style was a reference to the traditional Japanese tabi sock that is traditionally worn with thong sandals like getas or zōris.
For the debut show in 1988, a model wore a pair of Tabi boots dipped in red paint, leaving the strange markings on the runway in her wake: not quite shoe marks, not quite hoof prints.
Like them or loathe them, Maison Margiela’s version have been long considered a part of fashion history. The Tabi boots recently appeared as part of an exhbition in Antwerp called Foot Print: The Tracks of Shoes in Fashion
‘They give your feet the effect of cloven hooves; they’re shoes to make mischief in, to freak others out,’ fashion writer Arabelle Sicardi wrote.
A recently-unveiled silver sequin pair of Tabi boots are currently available for a startling $1,100 on the label’s website.
All the aforementioned shoes, and many more, have found themselves on the feed of ‘Crimes against Shoemanity’, an Instagram page run by London-based creative Rebel Royale.
Toe print: Loewe’s Resort collection in 2018 featured these whacky sandals which seemed to show an imprint of a foot with toe rings
Joke: These Céline shoes which featured printed toes were rife for mocking online and were turned into viral memes
Tabi: A painted version of Maison Margiela’s infamous Tabi boots wound their way on to the Crimes Against Shoemanity feed
Dupe: Crimes Against Shoemanity called out Louboutin for this style in 2018, which it said was a direct copy of Loewe’s version
Resort: Another controversial style by Jonathan Anderson for Loewe resort paid a lot of attention to the toes