January 05, 2014
These Are Your New Shoes
You might think, at first glance, that the stickers on these feet are for some sort of running injury. But you'd be wrong.
First there were the Five Fingers shoes from Vibram which veered away from the normalized running shoe to offer a more "barefoot like" run or workout and now there's also something called topeless sandals which are exactly as they sound. Flip flops that don't flip and flop but stick to your feet. The avant garde footwear.
According to the company's website the shoes have a water-based adhesive on the sole which means you are able to wear them over and over again. Apparently they are even washable.
But there hasn't been anything that comes close to Nike's Foot Sticker prototype.
Exactly what the name implies. Let's be clear...if you are hoping to avoid dog poop and disease on your city streets...lace up your shoes instead of using these. They won't help at all for keeping you clean or safe.
But for other indoor pursuits these are supposed to mimic being barefoot without generating calluses. Designer Frieke Severs is the mastermind behind the designs. All three have different uses. The cream colored skins are for yoga with their high grip protection. The others are well suited for dancing as well as "combat cardio" , they stop injury to the spots of the feet that bear the brunt of the workout but also allow the muscles and bones of the foot to move freely-as close to mimicking doing sports barefoot as possible?
So what's with the crazy new "shoes" trying to mimic being barefoot? Perhaps its the idea that you don't need to have all of those bulky (in comparison) sneakers lying around. Why though is technology seemingly moving backward when it comes to footwear? Being barefoot was once thought to be only for those who were too poor to afford shoes? Is it now more beneficial to be "shoe-less?"
According to the company's website the shoes have a water-based adhesive on the sole which means you are able to wear them over and over again. Apparently they are even washable.
But there hasn't been anything that comes close to Nike's Foot Sticker prototype.
Exactly what the name implies. Let's be clear...if you are hoping to avoid dog poop and disease on your city streets...lace up your shoes instead of using these. They won't help at all for keeping you clean or safe.
But for other indoor pursuits these are supposed to mimic being barefoot without generating calluses. Designer Frieke Severs is the mastermind behind the designs. All three have different uses. The cream colored skins are for yoga with their high grip protection. The others are well suited for dancing as well as "combat cardio" , they stop injury to the spots of the feet that bear the brunt of the workout but also allow the muscles and bones of the foot to move freely-as close to mimicking doing sports barefoot as possible?
So what's with the crazy new "shoes" trying to mimic being barefoot? Perhaps its the idea that you don't need to have all of those bulky (in comparison) sneakers lying around. Why though is technology seemingly moving backward when it comes to footwear? Being barefoot was once thought to be only for those who were too poor to afford shoes? Is it now more beneficial to be "shoe-less?"