Are VFFs "fashionable"?

Barfuß Chelsea

Barfuß Chelsea

Barefooters
Nov 24, 2010
232
69
28
Frankfurt, Germany
#1
I started going barefoot at work a few months ago, and last week I started wearing my VFFs as my regular shoes as well. Several of my co-workers are really amused by them, and a few even say they want to get some themselves. Then today someone made the comment that I should definitley keep wearing them because they're for sure going to be the next big fashion thing.

Hahaha, yeah right. Cuz THAT'S why I wear them. They're sexy.

But THEN the joke continued when someone declared that once they really catch on, they'll even start making high-heeled versions!

I think I just threw up in my mouth a little bit. :Sp

The scariest part is that they were only really half joking. Oh man, just picturing it makes my feet hurt...
 
#2
No I think they are hideous.

No I think they are hideous. What's really gross about them is how bad they stink. I can't imagine wearing them for more than an hour at the gym.
 
#5
I don't mind the look of the

I don't mind the look of the VFF, but I saw a picture of those VFF boots today and holy cookies those are something else. Maybe that boot look will grow on me, but for the moment they just look odd.
 
#6
I think they are becoming a

I think they are becoming a fashion item from everything I've read.

BTW, Running Times had a banner ad on their site advertising VFFs the other day. I can't wait for Runner's World to do the same.
 
#7
Vis a vis "the stink":  If

Vis a vis "the stink": If you don't pay any attention to what some people are saying about phthalates, as I don't, you can achieve fine odor control using a nifty product called Febreez Sport "Extreme Odor Eliminator."
 
#8
OH, BARF! Those boots are

OH, BARF! Those boots are disgusting!



I'm all about people getting healtier feet, but seriously, we don't have to look completely stupid doing it? Those boots....omg omg omg. Just go barefoot already people! Shoes = status & acceptance. Barefoot = poverty & unacceptable in public. VFF just melded the two together and now my brain hurts. Is this a culturally significant step or isn't it? Or is it just a pair of ugly ass boots?

I'd love to hear the Primal Foot Alliance's view on those casual VFFs. I hope they pick it up, them or the Society for Barefoot Living.
 
#9
Fortunately mine are still

Fortunately mine are still new enough that they don't yet have "the stink." The fact that it's still pretty chilly outside and my feet don't sweat all that much in them right now helps as well. I'm looking forward to switching to hurraches or some other sandals when the weather gets better, though. Fewer weird looks in the subway would be nice.
 
#12
If they would just remove the

If they would just remove the toe compartments, then they would be passable aesthetically and more healthy for us too.
 
#13
Isn't "fashionable" one of

Isn't "fashionable" one of those subjective things that gets pushed around by the whim of time and opinion? What's ugly today is fly tomorrow and vice versa, no? "If the cap fits, let them wear it" I say. :)
 
#15
 I'm a little embarrassed to

I'm a little embarrassed to admit it, but I like 'em. /build2/sites/all/modules/smileys/packs/Roving/shy.png

Plus, the more people that wear VFF styled stuff, the less weird BF becomes, I think.
 
#16
You crack me up, Mary!

You crack me up, Mary!
 
#17
I think "fashionable" is a

I think "fashionable" is a bit of a stretch. A fad? Yes. Most definitely a fad. I personally think they look a bit silly. Not sexy or cute at all.
 
#19
Hmmmm... I am not sure I love

Hmmmm... I am not sure I love them or anything, and in all likelyhood will never own a pair, but I wear VFFs everywhere these days. I wash them every 3 days and use foot powder in-between to take care of any odor. My wife, on the other hand, has shoes that she never washes that reek to high heaven, and no they aren't VFFs.

Odor is a problem of many fashionable shoes. Women's shoes tend to have no cushioning and thus the foot sweats right next to plastics. Also, I was just reading Barefoot Jake's blog post about smelly Pony tennis shoes for the second time just before reading this, and it just reiterates the same thing. Nearly every shoe owner has to be aware of foot odor. Socks help to a certain extent, but never entirely. Dr. Scholls makes a fortune seeling you odor absorbing insoles to help. To think VFFs are a no go because one hasn't taken precautions seems to ignore the reality of every other shoe.

What a tangent.... anyway... I was thinking if mukluks are the boot version of society's first minimal shoe, the mocassin, then it follows that a boot style would come up from Vibrams for the same reason. Of course the mukluk was usually made with rabbit fur lining to keep the foot warm which I am sure the VFFs lack entirely. I wonder if Native Americans had problems with foot odor? :p
 
#20
Ha!  Those boots do look

Ha! Those boots do look goofy. But hey, there's an opportunity here. Why not take advantage?!

I think these more robust offerings will end up being a passing fad. But the FFs, in the minimalist arena, will prolly be around for a good while.



NYAB
 
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