In Jonathan Anderson’s creative directorship roles at his eponymous label and Loewe, the designer has given us stilettos bulging with balloons, sandals with curves like car bumpers, sneakers sprouting cress and boots resembling slouchy shoulder bags. The designer has long flirted with the absurd and the surreal, creating shoes that fall into a category that has captivated this Vogue editor: “ugly”.

The ugly shoe upped its ante in 2022, thanks to fashion’s newfound affection for Rihanna-approved Vibram FiveFinger shoes, the Birkenstock Boston mule, the comeback of the hood-toed Nike Air Rift, and an everlasting interest in Crocs. But thanks to Anderson, a new orthopaedic animal is in town. The reptilian “croc” is in for a shock and taking on some tough competition in 2023, thanks to a certain frog-shaped mule that is going to make its debut on JW Anderson’s autumn/winter 2023 catwalk in Milan.

Read more: Spring/Summer 2023 Shoe Trends

Balloon swathed sandals on the SS23 Loewe runway.

 Peter White/Getty Images

SS23’s menswear show for Loewe featured sneakers sprouting with cress.

 Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images

In anticipation of his brand’s upcoming menswear show, Anderson posted an image of a pair of frog-shape rubber mules, created in collaboration with Wellipets on his Instagram. The slip-ons will throw up sentimental flashbacks for those who coveted the brand’s toad-splashed Wellingtons as a child – even Princes William and Harry had a pair.

Barely a fortnight into 2023, and it appears Anderson may have created the ugliest shoe of the year. A new type of rivet is ruling the runway, and I’m already poised to make my first pond-inspired fashion purchase.

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Originally posted from “VOGUE UK” by Laura Hawkins