50 Fashion Girls Could Wear These Polarizing Sneakers, and I'd Still Hate Them
If we're being honest here, I'm not always a fan of everything that becomes a trend among the fashion crowd. I am human, after all, and I have my limits despite being known to be game with an ugly shoe and even sharing the plethora of out-there trends I'm super down to try. But I think it's safe to say that the ugly sneaker trend has officially reached its peak with this new wave of higher-than-high platform sneakers, and I'm just going to come right out and say it: I'm not a fan.
I first noticed the shock-inducing sneakers on Hypebae's Instagram account, and now it seems the trend has caught on with a number of other fashion girls on my radar, to the point where I can no longer pretend it doesn't exist. The sneakers in question are defined by an exaggerated platform lug sole that puts even Balenciaga's Triple S sneakers to shame, and they've all emerged from a handful of brands, including Eytys, Buffalo, and Naked Wolfe.
It's normally not like me to pass such harsh judgments on the fashion choices of others, and I like to think I'm pretty open to previously scary-sounding fashion trends. But what really makes my eyes bulge out of their sockets when I see fashion girls posing on Instagram in these shoes are all the risks involved in walking around several inches off the ground. What can I say? My mind immediately goes to the thought of the shoes causing a broken ankle because of an innocent trip while walking. In my opinion, no fashion trend is worth risking a broken limb.
But hey, feel free to agree or disagree with me here. My DMs are always open (@anna__laplaca) if you want to drop your unfiltered thoughts and opinions somewhere. In the meantime, keep scrolling to see the shoes in action and then shop the "ugly" sneakers I'd actually wear.
Shop a level of ugly sneakers I can get with:
For even more controversial sneakers, see which style Tracee Ellis Ross and Emily Ratajkowski are both fans of.
Anna is an editor on the fashion team at Who What Wear and has been at the company for over five years, having begun her career in the Los Angeles office before relocating to New York, where she's currently based. Having always been passionate about pursuing a career in fashion, she built up her experience interning at the likes of Michael Kors, A.L.C., and College Fashionista before joining the team as a post-graduate assistant editor. Anna has penned a number of interviews with Who What Wear's cover stars over the years, including A-listers Megan Fox, Issa Rae, and Emma Chamberlain. She's earned a reputation for scouting new and emerging brands from across the globe and championing them to our audience of millions. While fashion is her main wheelhouse, Anna led the launch of WWW Travels last year, a new lifestyle vertical that highlights all things travel through a fashion-person lens. She is passionate about shopping vintage, whether it be at a favorite local outpost or an on-the-road discovery, and has amassed a wardrobe full of unique finds. When she's not writing, you can find her shooting street imagery on her film camera, attempting to learn a fourth or fifth language, or planning her next trip across the globe.
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