These Boots Were Made For Going Viral

One of the interesting aspects of fashion is its ability to offer a general barometer of the state of society. The hemline index is a classic example, suggesting economical buoyancy as hemlines get shorter, and recessionary times when they get longer, which could explain why the latter has become prevalent in recent collections as designers focus on timeless, discreet and classic wardrobe essentials to tide us through (here’s looking at you ‘stealth wealth’).

On the flipside, as the last three years of fashion have proved, it can also be chaotic, dystopian and fantastical — an elixir to challenging times.

As the following viral items suggest, perhaps we’re shifting toward another form of escapism through artificial intelligence, gaming avatars and an era of silly as an antidote to sensible mid-length skirts and cardigans.

Observing the return of fashion weeks to regular programming, there’s something a lot less natural going on. Sensible editors in loafers and tidy coats are a complete contrast to the glut of hyper-real fashion parading about town lately, fodder for the ravenous feeds of social media’s 15 minutes of fame.

It’s Miu Miu’s questionable mini and midi leather cargo skirts with giant pockets protruding from the hip like a pair of giant, leathery testicles. It’s the wire hanger entangled in a $2000 tank top from JW Anderson. And, of course, it’s the cartoonish big red boots from New York-based art collective MSCHF.

But there’s only so much over-intellectualising one can handle when it comes to clothes, and the following incredulous viral items are just the type of polarising pieces that prompt divided discourse around whether ready-to-wear can afford the grace given to the conceptual and impracticality of haute couture, or if it is indeed just stupid.

“We are about to see more aesthetics become subverted and mixed and matched in 2023,” says one of TikTok’s favourite trend forecasters, New York-based Augustina Panzoni (@Aguspanzoni). “I’m so excited to see us all embrace the creative potential of chaos to develop our personal styles.”

As these viral fashion items prove, frivolity truly does come down to personal taste, and whether you are compelled to wear any of the items or not, they do represent the idea that sometimes fashion needn’t always be functional.

These look like something from a video game. Constructed from a single TPU rubber exterior shell with an EVA interior, these boots, in the words of Tom Wambsgans from Succession, are truly gargantuan. Already seen sported by Diplo and Ciara, the clickbait boots have risen by over 100 per cent in Google searches worldwide since February.

Like a simulation of a boot, the design is a clear reference to cartoons and augmented reality, something we’re seeing becoming increasingly influential in fashion.

There’s something to be said about how they can alter the silhouette of an outfit, the sheer size of these anchoring a look to the ground, providing something of an oxymoron of existing between fantasy and reality.

Miu Miu brown Nappa leather mini-skirts

One of the more polarising collections in recent seasons is Miu Miu’s spring/summer 2023 collection with its continuation of belt/skirt hybrids and midriff-baring tops. Emily Ratajkowski’s mid-length Nappa leather skirt only just made a convincing case when it came down the runway, leaving the rest of us pondering how it could possibly work in real life.

The skirt has become street style fodder, taking off on TikTok in particular, with several influencers sporting variations of the skirt in February during the fashion week circuit.

While we can applaud a fashion risk, these real-life exemplars only confirmed our suspicions that it is in fact, not a great skirt for everyone.

I guess we can safely say we’re well-versed in surrealist fashion now thanks to brands such as Schiaparelli and Viktor & Rolf staying true to their otherworldly design roots.

Someone else just as romantic, if not more contemporary in their approach to surrealism, is the artfully cerebral universe of designer Jonathan Anderson.

One of the original street style stars, Susie Lau, was seen sporting this during Paris Fashion Week in February, with an accompanying caption that referenced the 1981 camp classic film Mommie Dearest, starring Faye Dunaway as a cartoonish Joan Crawford. “No wire hangers EVERRRRR !!! Well, only if they’re part of a J W Anderson outfit,” it read.

The comment section triggered some interesting discourse.

From @The_misspencil: “This would be amazing as an abortion rights protest.//is it? I also read it as just a garment and hanger thing..but the context of now…. Either way cheeky!!!”

And @Fridaandcocovintage: “Please God no just no.....fashion designers running out of new ideas. Get some proper skills create something beautiful people will gasp in wonder at. This is so pedestrian and lazy shame on u.”

The cumbersome nature of the hanger is maybe part of the humour here, but it does look like something that gives fashion outsiders not in on the joke further fuel for their disdain of an industry already synonymous with dishing out unrealistic standards.

Diesel wrap belt skit

Peak Y2K, the Italian denim brand’s timely renaissance with Gen Z has been making its way around the internet and one of the first to pick up on this mini-skirt/belt hybrid was @Ageorama who described the item as being highly impractical to wear and not size inclusive.

Adding to the impracticality is the fact it’s made of rubber, fastened with velcro, and costs $1000.

But for some Diesel fanatics or fashion purists, this might be an item, like most art, that will increase in value over time.