Caitlin, I am a big proponent of not yucking someone else’s yum. But this is testing me. What are on those girlies’ feet?
They’re toes, Cait. They’re toes. More specifically, toes encased in rubber to create a kind of foot-glove-trainer.
The shoes are made by an Italian company, Vibram, and they’re called “FiveFingers”. Why five fingers instead of five toes? I don’t know. It doesn’t matter. They’re cool now.
Vibrams used to be known for making kind of niche running shoes, but their toe shoe has since become all the rage – albeit somewhat divisively – among trendy young people.
Polarising, for one, because they look terrifying. And for practical reasons: it takes a little while to individually separate and fit your toes into the proper spots. But once you do, apparently it’s like wearing nothing at all.
I like a trend – I’m glad vests came back. But I am not yet convinced about toe shoes. Who has decided these are chic? Where has this come from?
As with many trends, celebrities started wearing them, then magazines started writing about them, and now every cool twentysomething you know is sporting them on TikTok.
While they were launched back in 2006, it took pop star Doechii wearing FiveFingers in her music video for Anxiety in April this year for the ball to start to roll. Three months later, K-pop star Jennie Kim of Blackpink was papped wearing a pair at Seoul international airport.
The same month, Grazia Daily UK declared Vibram’s “ugly shoe” one of 2025’s “hottest items”. Teen Vogue got on board. A collaboration with Balenciaga was announced, with a “toe shoe collection” on the cards.
They may be ugly, but they are unstoppable. In the words of Marie Claire, “there’s no tip-toeing around this freaky shoe trend”.
Are there benefits to my toes having their own bit of shoe? Are they … comfortable?
As someone who basically lives in boots and Birkenstocks and does not run competitively, I would not know. I’ve never worn them. But allegedly, they are comfortable.
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FiveFingers were originally marketed as a functional performance shoe for exercise, marketed to tech bros and gym junkies as mimicking barefoot running, before receiving street credibility.
It’s not just comfort they offer though. According to Vibram, their product transcends footwear. It’s a “mindset”.
“Imagine a life where every step feels light, where movement is fluid and instinctive, where your feet are alive with sensation,” Vibram’s website reads. “You are not just moving, you are awakening.” Come for the shoe, stay for the enlightenment.
I feel this could be like when we all hated on crocs and then ended up getting a pair. How many pennies should I be expecting to part with here?
Significantly more than the humble croc, I’m afraid.
New Vibram styles are sold online for around A$150 to A$300, and they’re going for in excess of $300 on the reseller website Depop. Matching toe socks, which retail at about $20, are optional.
It’s their exclusivity that is undoubtedly part of the allure.
But, like crocs, you could also argue their very repulsiveness is what gives them attraction. This is 2025. Women don’t need to ache all day in stilettos to prove themselves.
You can fashion your feet to look like a weird, prehistoric reptile if you want to, and be really comfortable while you do. You can feel the earth beneath your feet. You can transcend!
Or, like me, you can put on your well-worn pair of Birkenstocks and call it a day.
