Footwear’s Unstoppable Trend: The Ugly Shoe

Trends can often lead to some serious fashion faux pas (think Britney and Justin’s take on double denim); fortunately though, these hiccups are short lived in apparel and move on with the next trend. However, the moment where one questions “what was I thinking?” never seems to arrive when it comes to footwear. Regardless of what is presented on the catwalks, the ‘ugly’ shoe phenomenon remains, bolstering sales of what is often an extraordinarily comfortable product that severely lacks in aesthetic design. Crocs and Uggs, for example, universally acknowledged as unattractive shoes, reported net sales of 832 million US dollars and 2.0 billion US dollars in 2014, respectively. What can brands take from these highly successful, albeit unsightly, footwear trends?