Point:
In the summer of 2012, a new trend emerged in the magical land of footwear. Sneaker wedges, or “snedges,” will solve all your fashion problems...except those related to your clothes not fitting.There is a moment every time you're getting ready in which you ask yourself (and maybe your roommate, best friend, mom or dog) that fundamental ques- tion: heels or flats? Often, the answer isn’t obvi- ous. I like the way I look in heels. I like the way my body looks, the way my clothes fit and the way I feel in heels. Still, the last thing you want is to look like you’re trying too hard. Snedges solve that problem. They give you all the benefits of heels with none of the fuss. Snedges are a great way to be casual and still get that extra boost.
Plus, let’s not forget the real reason we don’t want to wear heels: they hurt! I don’t know about you, but I don’t have the feet of a Barbie doll. Often, the best part about wearing heels is the near– divine moment they finally come off. Snedges are comfortable and easy to walk around in. They are a surprisingly sensible choice, even for something that, admittedly, seems silly in theory.
Between small closets and a never–ending winter, it is incredibly helpful to have a pair of shoes that works through multiple seasons and in a wide range of temperatures. Unless it’s snowing, these are pretty universally weather appropriate. Plus, they don’t take up too much storage space.
I’ll admit I’m not nearly as stylish or trendy as I’d like to be. I’m lazy and uncreative in the outfits I put together. Sometimes there’s just so much going on that it’s hard to find time to make a “look.” Snedges are an easy way to make the typical sweater and leggings or t– shirt and jeans combo look like you actually got dressed with open eyes and a little thought. Katherine Hartman
Counterpoint:
We all knew the fashion industry was skating on thin ice following Crocs, harem pants and Timberland heels. But, finally, the industry gracelessly fell through the ice—clad in size 7.5 Hello Kitty footie spaceships otherwise known as sneaker wedges. The inflamed athletic show, referred to in Us–Weekly–Brangelina slang as “snedges,” comes from designers from Baby Phat to Jimmy Choo, and regardless of whether you’re paying $1,500 or $15 for these atrocities, know this: you look stupid.
Let me get something straight—you wouldn’t wear wedges to fake work out at Pottruck or go dayging. And you wouldn’t wear Nike Frees to Rumor. So why the fuck would you hybridize them and wear the bastard child to all of the above? Sneaker wedges, like parachute pants and Ed Hardy, need to clunk on over to their rightful place: Reddit. Even the Dr. Jekyll of the snedge, Isabel Marant, has disowned her monstrous shoes due to their “vulgarity.” Alright Ms. Marrant, I worship you, but I could’ve told you that the second I saw snegdes rear their repulsive little velco straps in your 2012 runway collection.
Wearing wedges is a painful experience as it is. But, as my mother always said, “the chic must suffer.” So, I always pretend that my wedges aren’t responsible for the slow–motion chainsaw massacre of my pinky toes as I casually sit on them in the Smokes' bathroom. Meanwhile, sneakers—cute sneakers—are like the modern day Jesus Christ. Wearing cute sneakers can offer salvation from fashion pains with a supportive arch. So why would you wear sneaker wedges and voluntarily inflict “casual” pain on yourself?
Granted, unlikely couples have created some fine–ass shit—like Adidas and Stella McCartney. But like Weezer and Lil’ Wayne or Britney Spears and her Las Vegas marriage, snedges need to go. Alexandra Sternlicht
