Why Is Everyone Wearing These Cartoonish Red Boots?

Every New York Fashion Week, certain designer items emerge as the fashion crowd’s favorites. Last year, everyone was wearing the Prada logo tank tops and minimal strappy heels by The Row. This past week, however, dainty Manolos were eclipsed by one shoe destined to go viral: MSCHF’s big red boots, aptly named the Big Red Boot. 

If you’re unfamiliar with MSCHF, they’re the experimental fashion brand that loves using their product releases to make a statement (often controversial ones). They’ve released boots that resemble medical casts, Birkinstock sandals made out of Hermès Birkins, and even Satan sneakers in collaboration with Lil Nas X that featured a drop of real blood in the soles. The label loves to push the boundaries of fashion and, more importantly, to make headlines. Their latest release—which looks like something Mario from Super Mario would wear—comes out today. They retail for $350, are made of TPU rubber and an EVA mid-outsole, and take design cues from a video game. “Cartoonishness is an abstraction that frees us from the constraints of reality,” the press release for the boots read. “If you kick someone in these boots, they go boing!”