Ugly, mortifying – and addictive? Tim Dowling’s week in the world’s most divisive shoes

Toe-curling … Tim Dowling in a pair of barefoot shoes. Photograph: Alicia Canter/The Guardian

Back in January, Vogue made a bold headline prediction: “This Freaky-Chic Shoe Will Be Everywhere in 2025”. It had already been spotted on models and rap artists, and all over TikTok and Instagram. By summer, Grazia declared that “The split-toe trend that’s been quietly bubbling for years just hit the mainstream”, citing shopping app Lyst, which named the shoe as one of its top five most-searched items.

The freaky-chic shoe in question is the toe shoe – a lightweight, thin-soled trainer with separate, articulated toes. They come in a number of brands and styles, and while they may be popular, I can safely say they are not “everywhere”. Walking in them in public every day for a week, I never ran across another person wearing them. Anywhere.