To sock, or not to sock ? That is the question.
I find it truly amazing how you can start with an idea or preconception of something and then somehow over time end up miles away from where you began. Case in point, the TubeFlop. I remember the very first time that I saw this bizarre item and thought to myself ‘waaaaaait a minute, what’s going on here?! Can this really be what it looks like or has this person really cut the heel and toes of her sock in some strange attempt to finally cross the ‘no socks with sandals’ barrier ? My problem in acquiring an answer was that the very person wearing them was a new friend and I couldn’t bring myself to ask the question burning in my brain, ‘what is up with your shoes!!?' I decided that maybe some good old fashioned Google investigation was in order and I could decide for myself just what was going on here.
It turns out that even though I may not have been the last person in the world to have heard of TubeFlops, I may have been close. This very unusual and yet quite ingenious idea for footwear was designed by Sanuk shoe founder Jeff Kelley in 2010 after a trip to Asia in which he witnessed many fashionable women wearing stirrup bottom leggings with flats and/or heels. From this the TubeFlop was born, perhaps well ahead of it’s time to the fashion cavemen such as myself. Regardless, I could not look away, I was truly captivated with the simplicity and style of this unique hybrid of sock and sandal. You see every girl I have ever met seems to live with the curse of cold feet and yet finally here was an attempt at a solution that should have been thought of years ago...well done Mr. Kelly, well done.
In closing, I have decided that thanks to TubeFlops I will never again look at fashion in any regard as ‘lame’ or ‘stupid’ at first just because I don’t understand it. I have learned the lesson that putting a little thought into it is the only way to go...from there one can decide what they like and what just belongs on the catwalk or department store mannequin. This is what makes fashion great, the ability to challenge us and open our minds to the minds of others. I must say however, the one beef I have with this fashion monument is simply this...how ‘bout some men’s sizes...!?
peace,
puffy shirt.
posted by PUFFY SHIRT
5 Comments:
I've been rocking this look for years!
But it's been all leg warmers with flip flops... They are way easier to slip sandals on and off and you can change colours of em too :)
Will be good to see more variety for sure, good going Sanuk!
I'm telling ya----you're on to something here Mr. Kelly. This new breed of legwarmer/tubesock/gator equips women to rock flip-flops further and deeper into the colder seasons on our planet.... and everyone knows how much the ladies love their flip-flops. I'm just saying, prior to the entrance of the tubeflop the options were kinda limited:
1. The Japanese two-toe white sock with flip-flop. This works well when accompanied by a kimono, Asian chopstick bun, and a samurai sword, ie)O-Ren Ishii in Kill Bill, but how practical or versatile is this for the average outing?
2. The five-toe striped clown socks that have been growing in popularity for a solid five plus years now. Not so sure anyone has ever seriously considered the wannabe glove striped wondersock and flip-flop combo a viable option.
I think Sanuk is onto something.
My question is, should the tubeflop be considered its own category, or should it be lumped into either: the socks/nylons category or the legwarmers/gators group?
For a girl who wears flops year round and like skinny jeans, i love my leg warmers, this new invention is looking a-Ok to me! But not sure how comfortable it might be. I probably wouldn't pay for them, but next time my knee highs get holes in them, i won't be throwing them away!!
Sorry to be the voice of negativity, but good lord, this is just as bad as uggs with shorts or leggings with a mini-skirt. I know we all have certain attachments to clothing items, but no good ever comes from trying to make crossing seasonal lines fashionable.
That said, I actually own a pair of Sanuk shoes (they're called surfer shoes and are slip on shoes that are created to work both on the beach and on a trail while hiking through the cliffs), and they're super comfy. But surfer shoes have a practical application. The tubeflops seem less practical because the sock is actually attached to the sandal. Flip-flops are supposed to be comfy and easy to take on and off, these don't look like they're either comfy or easy to wear.
*I might want to qualify that I have never worn tubeflops or even leg warmers with flip-flops, so this is all conjecture.
Rachel... I think its time for the 'Do something you hate' challenge! :)
uggs with shorts or leggings with a mini skirt?
http://www.ppandhc.com/2010/09/go-do-something-you-hate.html
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