Brand: TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. x Suicoke

Season: Fall/Winter 2021

Buy: Suicoke, TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. for $350

Editor's Notes: For some reason, whenever I witness the separated piggies of Vibram's Five Fingers shoe, I feel like Principal Skinner recoiling from a burnt roast. The silhouette of Vibram's divisive "sneaker" is actually pretty good, it's just those distinct toes at the end that really make my skin crawl. Not that Suicoke cares, of course.

Every few months, a new collaboration puts a fresh face on the, er, divisive Five Fingers. TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist. didn't take the Five Fingers nearly as far as Midorikawa's terrifying tootsies, but that almost makes the result that much more upsetting. I mean, the result is basically a nice low-profile sneaker ruined by the reminder that the wearer is sock-free on the inside.

Not to get too personal here, there are Five Finger fans and I'm sure the shoes are very comfortable.

And, hey, you could argue that conventional sandals ought to be more marmite because they actually reveal the feet. Thing is, it's the suggestion of toes that makes Vibram's Five Fingers so off-putting: the fact that individual toes are housed in their own little compartment is somehow worse than the actual feet.

At least TAKAHIROMIYASHITATheSoloist.'s lace-up Five Fingers — complete with breathable mesh and suede panels — represent founder Takahiro Miyashita's fascination with quirky footwear, though. He's already partnered with the likes of Salomon and Converse for some interesting silhouettes, though even his Oofos flip-flops are arguably less out-there than these Suicokes.

Miyashita is a famous fan of quirky footwear, though, and has rocked flip-flops way before they were "cool." Maybe he's onto something here.

This is merely the latest oddball Japanese team-up from Suicoke. Most recently, the footwear company dished out some denim sandals and fuzzy animal slippers that, for better or worse, prove that no one can top the sheer sandal craziness coming out of Japan.