I can't believe it: something more hideous than flip flops.

I actually know a very attractive girl who started wearing these whenever she wasn't wearing manolo blahblah. I'm surprised they offend people more than dirty running shoes; now that I know they are the ultimate troll shoe, I might get some. Suckas.

Do these things pose a greater risk of injury in an urban environment? Anyone know? My fear with these: Sheared toes on the 6 train platform at Union Square.

J.J Casuals!!

If I see you wearing these near me, on the subway, on Smith Street (you pretentious sod), you are asking for a cockpunch.

I think Cockpunch is the maker of these shoes.

"I'm a girl, and I'm referring to the reaction that my pussy has to these"

Classy ... you sound adorable

you do too, lets get married

VFF's are not new. I've been wearing mine in the gym and on the subway for at least a year. I love them.

You know what is gross? All of New York's mangled feet on display in sandals all summer long. Mangled and deformed from years of wearing pumps and dress shoes. Unlike standard footwear, VFF's won't mangle or deform your feet, and they are much better for your knees too.

VFF's are ultra-comfortable, delightful and fun in everyway. The only thing they can't do are rain and puddles.

I'd suggest trying on a pair of VFF's before hatin' on them. I got mine at City Sports. Once you switch to VFF's you will not want to go back to typical sneakers.

And to Jenny Slate, you can kiss my well worn VFF's. :-)

OK, but if I can't wear my FiveFingers on the subway, please tell everyone in flip flops not to wear locker room shower footwear in the subway either. Thank you.

I finally found something that was not just barely, but infinitely uglier than crocs.

How do I give it the middle finger?

These shoes are designed for running over rough terrain, rock climbing and other applications where greater dexterity and sensitivity is desirable.

They are NOT designed for day to day activities such as walking around a street or jogging in the park.

I believe they were developed as a boat shoe for sailing. They gained popularity among runners, and now they are used for everything.

Regardless of the activity in which one is engaged, VFF's are infinitely better for your feet, knees and back then traditional shoes.

Ok, so you're not saying people should actually NOT wear them for those everyday purposes, just that they're not necessarily designed for those purposes? I misunderstood.

"They are NOT designed for day to day activities such as walking around a street or jogging in the park."

They may not be specifically designed for these purposes, but as far as I know they are more than suitable for such purposes. Are you implying that there is some kind of design issue which actually makes them inappropriate for these purposes, or simply suggesting that wearers have no "excuse" for wearing them for anything other than their intended purpose?

If it's the former, I would like to know what it is, since I wear mine for general day-to-day wear, and I don't encounter any problems.

If it's the latter, do you apply the same principle for anyone who wears sneakers for general day-to-day wear? Or people who wear rugged hiking boots such as Timberlands when they're not hiking?

Also, I think running in the park is exactly the purpose they were made for.

I'm curious as to why people seem to feel so strongly about this matter (40+ comments regarding someone's choice of footwear??). Are shoes with "toes" really that disgusting? My pants have individual "legs" for each leg, my sweater has sleeves for each arm, and my gloves have "fingers" for each finger...do these inspire the same reaction amongst everyone?

Makes me long for the days of the steel toe boot.

The shoes look ridiculous.

Whatever. Running shoes have had similar designs for years. Hell, there were a fantastic pair of Japanese ones I wanted back in '06. Gothamist is late to trends.

The simple explanation for these shoes is the modern running shoe has weakened the foot and resulted in injuries largely unknown in cultures without such sneakers.

Thank you! It's true; these shoes taught me how to run correctly and have strengthened my feet as well. I wouldn't replace them for a moment.

To be fair though, no one should be wearing these as a fashion statement.