Freak Shoe Friday – FENDI Pink “Hair” Sneakers

Hello shoe-lovers!

Simone from the sex & relationship blog, Skinny Dip here. Last weekend I was exploring the brand new Nordstrom store in downtown Vancouver, when these freaky pink-haired Fendi “Karlito” sneakers stopped me dead in my shoe-loving tracks.

Made of suede, patent-leather and hot-pink shearling, these questionable kicks are reminiscent of that self-proclaimed “cool guy” who sat behind you in high-school math class. You know exactly who I’m talking about.

He sat in the back row, wore a black leather jacket and his face was always partially obscured by a curtain of hair. He was kind of cute, but mostly you just wondered how he was able to see the chalkboard. While this affectation might have worked for your junior high crush, it makes for an eyebrow raising shoe design.

While I’m not adverse to playful and unorthodox features on my footwear, the hot-pink shearling has a texture that feels creepily like actual human hair – kind of like if someone snuck into wherever Nicki Minaj keeps her epic wig collection with a pair of scissors and then glued the spoils onto a basic sneaker (insert maniacal laughter and hand wringing here.)

However, it’s not even about the actual “hair” perse that bothers me. Hair and hair-like textures on accessories seem to be trending this season. On the same shopping trip, my sister and I also stumbled across this Simone Rocha goat hair crossbody bag, which looks surprisingly chic.

The difference between Simone Rocha’s and Fendi’s take on this hairy trend? It all comes down to length and placement. What makes the Fendi “Karlito” truly terrible is the fact that the pink hair has at least 3-4 inches of overhang that drags on the floor, collecting dirt, grime & god knows what else in it’s wake. Therefore making it completely impractical for rainy, wet Vancouver winters (or any climate really – indoors or outdoors!).

Then, I did some research online and discovered that I was thinking about it all wrong. You just need to get some hair elastics for your Karlitos! Then, you can style it into a cute pony or maybe a hip man-bun. Right. Because there’s nothing weird about that. Shudder.

Would you wear this shoe?

–Simone

Simone Paget is a writer and blogger living on the West Coast of Canada. SkinnyDip.ca is her blog about life, love, sex, relationships and everything in between. She lives for great stories and has a serious weakness for taco trucks, really good coffee, 90’s hip hop & R&B and beautiful lingerie. We blogged about her amazing shoe closet here & it's well worth a look!

Cristina Ehm

Cristina is the chief editor, fashion & shoe expert here at ShoeTease. As a seasoned stylist and women's fashion & shoe designer, she boasts over 20 years of experience in the fashion industry. She loves crafting effortless outfits for ladies both online and off and believes that styling advice should be accessible to everyone. Whether you're a styling pro or just starting out, Cristina's here to guide you on your fashion journey! Learn more.

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