The New Ugliest Shoe

I know this is so mean, because this company has a wonderful commitment to put shoes on the world’s people, but my Lord on high, they are UG-LAY.

The deal is that the company, Tom’s, sends a pair of shoes to someone who needs shoes for every pair you buy. Which is awesome. The problem is that the shoes are criminally hideous, have no support, and are made of cloth. All for like $70.

All I’m saying is, by all means be a good doobie and buy a pair to wear around the house or whatever. They’d make GREAT slippers. Slippers that you wear in the house. When you’re alone. In the dark.

12 Replies to “The New Ugliest Shoe”

  1. Wouldn’t it be really cool if they came in glow-in-the-dark colors?! Then you really could wear them alone in the dark and not even need a night light. 🙂

  2. I noticed a young woman (maybe about 25, max) I was working with wearing these shoes (in subtler colors, granted) with her otherwise very snappy business casual outfit. At the ripe old age of 31 (heh) I figured that I was just too old to “get” the shoes. Glad I’m not the only ones who thinks they are hideous. Honestly, I can see them with a very casual weekend outfit, only for the really hip, involving rolled jeans, but certainly NOT for work.

  3. Actually, many in international aid are not so enamoured of the Tom model, suggesting that it actually hurts local economies. Please check out the invaluable blog Good Intentions are Not Enough which staged A Day Without Dignity as a way of raising awareness that raising awareness that raising awareness simply by spending a day being uncomfortable may not actually help us understand things from others’ perspective. I’m not saying this well! But do check out the blog.

  4. Bless me, PB, for I have sinned. I kinda like the second pair, just for knocking around in.

  5. I’m a campus minister and tom’s are a HUGE campus fashion statement. Which is where they belong– on the feet of those with parents who shell out $70 for cheap cloth shoes.

  6. I see a lot of students wearing Tom’s shoes. I had no idea that they were $70.

    What’s your take on Vibram Five Fingers? I own a pair but they are strictly gym, running or walking for exercise (as opposed to errand walking). I’ve seen a few used as casual shoes. They draw a lot of attention and spark lots of conversations about feet.

  7. I think the patterned ones are hideous, too, but I got a pair of plain red ones for my birthday ($48, not $70) and have been wearing them for the final 2 weeks of my pregnancy, even to work (Denominational office) when I don’t have meetings/appointments. I find them really comfortable (thick padding on the inside, and thick, cushy soles). I have seen some younger adults work the plain yellow ones, red ones, or the wedges into a decent business casual outfit. But yeah, they are kind of weird-looking, cloth shoes. Once I’m not whale-sized, I’ll probably just keep them for jeans and weekends.

  8. The wedges rock. I’d love the red or the grey & white. Okay, who’s buying me a pair? Only $70!

  9. My daughters (ages 23 & 21) wear these everyday. Very in with the young people yes (at least here in Massachusetts)

  10. I had paint splattered shoes like that when I was a kid. I used to paint fences on our farm every summer. (I don’t think the fences needed to be painted that much,it was my dad’s way to keep me away from the neighbor boys)

  11. I disagree. I love my grey pair and will probably invest in a brown or black pair when I get ordained and serve a church. They are super comfortable and cost no more than regular shoes do ($48 – $60).

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