Sculptor/filmmaker/installation artist Tom Sachs, perhaps best known for his incredible recreations/reimaginations of NASA missions in gallery spaces, has revealed his next sneaker designed in collaboration with Nike. According to Hypebeast, "the Tom Sachs x Nike Mars Yard Overshoe is slated to release at DSM London on Oct. 11 and roll out with a global release in the future, at a retail price of £390 (around $511 USD)." From an interview in Vogue:

As an artist and collaborator of many other artists and companies, what appeals to you about collaborating with Nike?

There’s a huge community with Nike, and I think probably the biggest thing that inspires me is that we have these shared ideals of: work first. It’s not just about winning the marathon, it’s about training for it. It’s not about finishing the sculpture, it’s the act of making things. For me, the advantage of being in the studio is I can make something one at a time, 19th-century-style. Nike doesn’t have that advantage, but has the ability to build thousands of products. As a result you have to make different kinds of decisions, and that process is very inspiring and challenging for me. I only do things that are interesting and keep me on my toes . . . . It’s a really major achievement, the shoe. I’m very, very proud of it. It’s something that I started working on in 2007 and just came to life this year. It’s something I didn’t know for sure if it was ever going really happen.

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Would you spend $530 on a pair of sneakers that were described like this?

Crumply, hold-it-all-together tape details a distressed leather sneaker in a retro low profile with a signature sidewall star and a grungy rubber cupsole.

Yeah, neither would I, and neither would these folks (aka "the internet"):

Golden Goose comes out with a pair of sneakers listed at $530 that are worn down and kept together by tape. Since when is it a trend to glorify the appearance of used sneakers and poverty? pic.twitter.com/1yLTuitIBX

— Bryan Heckman (@b_hecky) September 20, 2018

Poverty is real, I’ve been bullied for wearing thrifted clothes before thrifting was “cool”, and now we have high end brands capitalizing upon many people’s past and current poverty related suffering. Thank you Golden Goose. I hope the designer that came up with this is happy. https://t.co/iixNhxip7T

— 1-800-ARE-YOU-DYIN (@evelyn_art_) September 20, 2018

The new fashion is wearing worn out looking shoes that include taped one that costs a bomb from $530 to $1340. Glorifying poverty or making a mockery of poverty, can't decide. #fashionstyle #GoldenGoose pic.twitter.com/k8mxvchw4n

— Kumar Manish (@kumarmanish9) September 20, 2018

There's a quote from something, wish I could remember what, but it goes something like "the rich kids all want to be poor and the poor kids all want to be dead". Seems relevant

— steph 👻 (@Thespookysteph) September 20, 2018

Once available at Nordstrom online, these held-together-with-tape sneakers by Italian luxury brand Golden Goose are currently sold out (or removed??). Not to worry, they have plenty of other filthy, overpriced shoes to choose from. Read the rest

Limited to two motors and $600, mechanical engineering students from the University of California, Davis designed and built this shoe-tying machine. I particularly appreciate how the robot uses the same technique as I do: the bunny ears method.

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You may have thought that you were prepared for this moment, but I want you to sit down, nonetheless. Brace yourself. Buck up. Be strong.

Here we go.

Crocs, squishy footwear manufacturer to the stars (also, Larry, who stops by to top off that pig tank of propane I’ve got sitting outside of my RV when we winter in Texas,) is closing its last manufacturing plants.

According to a statement plopped out by the company last week, Crocs decreed that they will no longer be making the iconic closed cell resin kicks that made them famous, any longer, saying “In connection with ongoing efforts to simplify the business and improve profitability, during the second quarter, the company closed its manufacturing facility in Mexico and moved ahead with plans to close its last manufacturing facility, which is located in Italy,"

That said, it’s sounding like the company will likely be licensing out the right to make Crocs sandals, clogs and other squishy footwear options to outside manufacturers.

From Jezebel:

...there have been multiple media reports that Crocs is winding down production in our owned manufacturing facilities. While accurate, some people have interpreted that to mean that Crocs will no longer be making and selling shoes. Quite the contrary, Crocs will continue to innovate, design and produce the most comfortable shoes on the planet. As we streamline our business to meet growing demand for Crocs, we’re simply shifting production to third parties to increase our manufacturing capacity.

We’re extremely grateful, but not surprised that our passionate fans are rallying around the brand today.

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From light to dark, affordable high-heeled shoes are available in a variety of skin tones from British retail brand Marks and Spencer (M&S).

French shoe designer Christian Louboutin first brought "nude" shoes, in seven shades, to the market in 2017, but the collection was very pricey.

View this post on Instagram

Pep rally! Christian Louboutin extends his groundbreaking Nudes collection with the introduction of two new summer-ready styles, each available in a full spectrum of seven shades of nude. Discover the new nudes via the link in our bio.

A post shared by Christian Louboutin (@louboutinworld) on Jun 28, 2017 at 10:02am PDT

Now, M&S is offering six "vegan friendly" (which is code for "not leather") shades of stilettos for approximately $33/pair.

Not everyone is impressed, however:

(TAXI) Read the rest

Doc Martens embossed their leather 1460 boots with the iconic cover art from Joy Division's 1979 first album, Unknown Pleasures. So cool!

...The now-classic design, created by Peter Saville, is a visual translation of pulsar sound waves — explosive, raw and intense — much like the sound of the band.

$160/pair. There are also some New Order Docs.

Previously: William Blake Doc Martens

photo by Katie Davies Read the rest

These putty-colored pumps by Maison Margiela ($825) are described as "cloven toe." I might be 12, but wouldn't a better description be "camel toe"?

A similarly racy shoe is available in red for $1080.

Thanks, Caroline B.! Read the rest

Step aside couture platform Crocs, you've got some competition for world's most ridiculous spongy-soled shoes. Crocs now come in high heels. I wish I were kidding. Check it and see. Read the rest

Nike's new "Benassi JDI Fanny Pack" slide sandals may be the perfect footwear to don while sporting another hybrid fashion choice, the shirt-shirt. Read the rest

Daiki Suzuki's menswear brand Engineered Garments took the iconic Dr. Martens 1461 shoe and made them into grandpa shoes by adding velcro straps.

They're available in five colors at End. Clothing for $229/pair.

Previously: William Blake Doc Martens and Turn your shoes into roller skates

(The Awesomer) Read the rest

Demna Gvasalia, luxury brand Balenciaga's creative director, has reimagined Crocs by adding a five-inch thick sole to them.

Of course, the main difference between the two pairs of shoes, besides the platform soles and the Balenciaga-specific flair, is the price.

A pair of ordinary Crocs costs under $50. A pair ofBalenciaga "foam platform sandals" will set you back $850 (a charmless pair is "only" $495). [Its high price didn't stop the shoes from selling out on its release in February, according to Dazed.]

W writes that Gvasalia has "a habit of trolling the fashion industry with upscaled versions of mundane items."

For example, there's the $1,100 calf-skin leather version of the brand's own paper shopping bags, $2,145 leather totes inspired by IKEA's iconic $0.99 Frakta bag, and a high-fashion take on "ugly sneakers" that have been seen on the super-hip crowd, from Hailey Baldwin to Elsa Hosk to Bella Hadid. It's started something of a trend outside of Gvasalia's domains of Balenciaga and Vetements as well, including Tiffany & Co.'s "Everyday Objects" collections (complete with a $1,000 sterling silver "tin" can), Dolce & Gabbana's $110 pasta, and Supreme's paperweight made of $100 bills.

Oh, we remember the "tin" can.

Previously: Mocking the $2,145 "couture Ikea bag" with awesome Ikea bag hacks and This is a $9K ball of yarn

(bookofjoe) Read the rest

Never let your pristine kicks touch the filthy ground with these thick-soled shoe-sandals. They strap onto another pair of shoes, in this case a pair of military-style, high-top sneakers.

Both pairs are the latest offerings of Chinese fashion brand Sankuanz who unveiled the bulky combo on the runway at Paris Men's Fashion Week in late January.

NPR reports:

[Sankuanz] sent male models down the runway wearing high top sneakers — that never actually touched the runway.

"They're transformable sneakers that have an outer layer of protective sandal that you can enter Velcro into and you can strap them on or off," is how Sankuanz publicist Courtney Wittich describes the concept.

But ultimately, they look like big-cushioned, rubber and plastic orthopedic Birkenstocks — with Velcro straps — and you strap them on top of your existing shoes.

Or they look like open-concept galoshes. That's up to you...

"You can walk totally normal in them and it gives you an extra layer of protection and then also height," Wittich says.

I wonder if they were inspired by these vintage Space Boots from the late sixties:

Or maybe by these Moon Shoes:

Either way, the shoe-sandals will be available in August for $355 and I don't think the sneakers are included in that price.

image 1 via Hypebeast, image 2 via Ebay, image 3 via Amazon Read the rest

Fix Your Kicks proprietor Joshua Marin, 20, is a third-generation cobbler whose specialty is restoring classic and highly-collectible sneakers. (Great Big Story) Read the rest

The Secret Shoe is a bespoke shoe with a hidden compartment in the sole to hold the likes of "the world’s smallest phone, a tiny video camera, a mini Swiss army knife, a tracking device, a choice of currency capsule (£50; €50; or $50); and the world’s most advanced contactless payment ring. The shoes can also accommodate a spare house key." A pair will cost you £2000 and are unlikely to result in a smooth TSA experience.

From Oliver Sweeney:

In addition to the items hidden within the shoe, the laces themselves are made from Kevlar. They can act as a friction saw cutting through wood or plastic, so should you ever find yourself zip-tied, you have a fighting chance of escape.

(via Uncrate) Read the rest

My friend JoAnne Yada shared this quirky collection of Muppets shoes the other night on Facebook and I nearly jumped out of my seat. They're so wild and creative, just like a brand for (a certain type of) inner children should be!

Here's a look at some of them:

This pair of heeled boots is aptly named "She's Hip He's Hop" because it features both Miss Piggy and Kermit...

These "Super Couple" heels also feature the famous pig and frog duo...

Then there's "The Great Gonzo" style, stars and all...

And Kerm-y flats...

These "foot stomping vixen heeled boots" are called "Fierce Piggy"...

While these pig-pink satin heels are called, "All About Moi,"

The next three pairs really crack me up. First Statler and Waldorf get their mugs on a pair with these "Boo Hiss" flats...

Folks who identify with Animal may be drawn to these "Louder Louder" red fake-furried heels...

And the best for last... the "Mahna Mahna" shoes, if for no other reason that they'll implant that earworm in people's head...

The collection is by UK-based Irregular Choice and the shoes range in price from £129.00 to £220.00.

And yes, there are more shoes, as well as matching purses and tights.

Star Wars more your thing? Go here. Crazy heel aficionado? Here. Read the rest

Siddharth Mandala, 18, of Hyderabad, India, is developing the Electroshoe as a defensive weapon for women. The idea is that a woman could kick an attacker to deliver a jolt of electricity, similar to a taser, giving her time to escape. From the Deccan Chronicle:

Apart from transmitting a 0.1-ampere shock, the shoe also sends off an alert to the nearest police station. The shoe is run by power generated through the user’s footsteps. Mechanical energy from every step taken is harvested and stored in a rechargeable battery...

“The basic idea was that it had to be something that women would have with them all the time. Women might forget to carry tasers or other protective devices, but no one forgets to wear shoes before they step out. It was very challenging for me to think of a solution dealing with footwear. My product is basically a prototype. I’m still figuring out ways to make the shoe water resistant and overcome other limitations,” Siddharth said.

(via Weird Universe)

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Austin shoesmith Kayla Stojek (AKA "Zombie Peepshow") mods wedges, Vans, heels and other shoes (and boots) with huge, deadly spikes, cute dioramas, horror pumpkins, whimsical scares, and such, all made to order: if heels aren't your thing, Stojek will mod you up some spiky Vans. Read the rest