Just Do(wn dog) It?
Not happy losing to Lululemon in the yoga pants wars in the ever growing market, Nike is slapping its swoosh on other parts of your anatomy: your feet. Because what we need is to buy more unnecessary yog-accoutrement! Especially on your tootsies, those poor things, they’re all bare and stuff. We can’t have that, because bare feet have limits, you see.
These new Nike Studio Wrap shoe thingies have 3 parts (wrap, ribbon and flat) and promise to solve the “hygiene problem” and those pesky slippery-feet-ruin-your-zen moments. And kiss the embarrassment of a bad pedicure goodbye. No one cares about your toes with these fancy shoes.
And who needs bare feet when you have shoes that feel like bare feet, and are better? Via Nike’s website:
There’s no sweaty or slippery feet, no bunched up socks, and even with a bad pedicure, people won’t be looking at your toes with this sexy silhouette.
A better-than-barefoot experience in a modular footwear system, the Nike Studio Wrap was designed to give women an elevated workout in the studio that takes them back to their daily lives in style.
Sorry, fellas, this shoe is only for the ladies, because only ladies do yoga and need special shoes for them, duh. That’s why they come in pink, too. And sisters, we warn you now, once you wrap ’em you can’t scrap ’em.
“It’s going to become a necessity; it’s going to be as essential as the yoga mat is to the girl when she goes into her yoga class. She won’t be able to live without it. She won’t want to,” says Footwear Product Director (Women’s Training), Ann Marie Fallow.
Hear that ToeSox? Thems fightin’ words. Your move yoga apparel makers, who’s next for the yoga hat? Chakra beanie?
It might be our weakness for ballet-like things, but they do have the prettiness factor going for them (until your yoga teacher tells you to take them off). That and the marketing video didn’t even involve underwear, upshots or nakedness. And for $110 of your hard-earned cash these shoes can make you forget what the surface under your feet feels like, coming Spring 2013.
[via]
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Just pinned that to my WTF pinterest board, hahaha!
Having bare feet is one of my favorite parts of yoga. Don’t try to take that away from me, Nike! If you want to get my attention show me some yoga crops in crazy colors and patterns.
Modular footwear system? Is that where mofos comes from?
Those shoes (?) are ugly. If I saw someone wearing them (or should I say “rocking” them?) in a yoga class, it would take some effort not to smirk at the person. (Then I’d castigate myself for being un-yogic and judgmental).
Seriously, though. They look like someone wants to be a ballerina when she grows up but instead is settling for yoga class. They are for women with more money than sense, at best, and at worst, they are all that AND dumb-looking.
Until your yoga teacher tells you to take them off. Ha I love it!
Wow. This a truly terrible idea.
Absolutely a terrible idea!
It might actually benefit some people who have issues with their feet.
Exactly! For anyone suffering from metatarsal issues, plantar fasciatis, or other structural issues of the foot, these things are the bomb!
For those scoffing, you really ARE being very judgemental, and very wrongly assuming that everyone who wears something like this is doing so for fashion reasons. I wear them for both kung fu and yoga, because they give just enough extra support and padding to keep me ‘on the mats’, without taking away my flexibility, and freedom of both foot and toe movement, as well as muy ability to feel the kung fu mats and my yoga mat, the way wearing shoes would.
While I think those shoes do look rather ridiculous, and have already been done (ToeSox and Stick-es), footwear actually help people with hyperhydrosis on their feet to not slip and hurt themselves on the mat. I use yoga gloves for this purpose, not because it’s some fashion fad.
You know a market is getting massive when nike starts making pointless products for it. Wonder who they’ll get as the endorser.
Ashley,
Nice to know that you are the face of Ergo Fat Shred.
Oh puhlease. nike, go to your soccer, hands off yoga!
I’d love to make of fun of these – really, BUT as a longtime ashtanga yogi who has one leg longer (from polio) than the other and wears a lift in shoes, and has had to devise wedges and platforms and other props to even the difference during standing poses and backbends, I looked at these at thought OMG – that’s exactly what I need! I can put a lift in one, even my legs out, and still have the feel of bare feet! Only I would probably be too embarrassed to wear them, especially if Frida K was in the shala…….
Jackie, one of my students has a custom-made (by her) modified yoga brick she uses in class to accomodate for one arm being significantly shorter than the other. She uses it in any pose where both hands are on the ground. I think it is genius. I’ve not seen adjusted props for different leg lengths, but when I took bellydance classes (which are done barefoot) one student had sandals she wore that had a platform built into one in order to accomodate her different leg lengths.
Ok, if these were made in India by Indians from pure cotton and didn’t have any brand. If they cost 5 dollars, and if my feet needed covering, yes then maybe I’d have one pair.
But why don’t they have the matching pair of gloves?! We use our all fours, after all.
someone is already on the hat thing: https://evolvefitwear.com/catalog/electric-yoga-seamless-yoga-cap
This is perfect for belly dancers when you have to dance o hot sidewalks or on unknown grounds!!
I think they are nice shoes but for yoga? if you wear them than how you do your practise , have to take them off, so i think is not worth to buy them.
I have one leg shorter than the other and need to wear a heel lift too. Normally I use Toe Sox for that but these might be great – without the insanity price tag though!
the strappy ribbon ankle business looks really annoying and restricting.
I think they are pretty but will probably stick with doing yoga in my bare feet. That’s something I like about yoga is the bare feet. But I do think they are rather stylish. (maybe not for $110!)
This is way too cute.
Ok, clearly I’m in the minority here, so judge/try not to judge away, but: CUTE. And actually practical, as my mat is about as sticky as glass.
If your mat is slippery yogis, you’re using the wrong one. Take the plunge and invest in lululemon’s ‘the mat’ and your practice will never be the same. Honest to goodness.
Why would anyone want to wear shoes during yoga? If a yoga studio that I was a member of began to eventually require shoe use or something crazy like that, I would quit immediately.
Thank you for mentioning this. I have been dealing with a leg length discrepancy and have been tryin g to figure out a way to keep yoga in my life without aggravating it! I’ll check out those socks. Most recently I’ve been using athletic tape. Lol.
“It’s going to become a necessity; it’s going to be as essential as the yoga mat is to the girl when she goes into her yoga class. She won’t be able to live without it. She won’t want to,” says Footwear Product Director (Women’s Training), Ann Marie Fallow. – REALLY? Any person who actually loves yoga should look at these and laugh. You need these as much as you need a $4,000 Louis Vitton handbag to carry around your pocket change.