Tuesday, June 23, 2015

My Controversial Relationship With Slides and Their Inherent Ugly Appeal

Happy Tuesday!

In light of recent news that slides are the latest trend to dominate the streets permeated with fashionistas and my ambivalent feelings towards them, I felt that they absolutely must be discussed. First and foremost, until today, slides have been perceived by the general public as a man's shoe. As a self-proclaimed "feminist" (quotation to signal multiple definitions of the word), I'm pro dressing androgynously. I live for pants, pantsuits, tuxedos, and baseball caps. Slides have officially made the list of things women are starting to embrace and although men may not necessarily consider them "sexy", fashion girls are loving them.

Could it be that men cannot imagine women in this type of shoe because it's always been worn by men?
Or is it just plain ugly no matter your gender?

For those of you who don't know, slides are a form of flip flop without the tong in the middle. They resemble slippers, but they are meant to be worn outdoors. They can be straight or crisscrossed. They probably shouldn't be worn with socks, but nobody is stopping anyone from trying.

via stylehunter.com
The moment I saw them on the feet of bloggers, I was appalled. How could they give in to comfort? Should I have seen this coming when sneakers dominated the stiletto? Is comfort really everything or are bloggers trying to turn something ugly into a fashion statement that everyone will be dying to wear? Is this simply a test that proves bloggers own the fashion sphere? Are they all secretly making fun of us for following suit?

Here is the reality fellas. I bought a pair. I gave in and my favourite part about them is, lo and behold, their ugliness. Whether we like it or not, they make a statement and the negative reactions often add humour to my day. Do I love them or do I love the reaction I get out of them? I couldn't tell. Perhaps a bit of both. Regardless, they are in my closet and I've already worn them.

What ugly trend will I love next? Are the ugly ducklings going to take center stage? What does ugly mean anyway?

Ponder it,

Bella

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