They’re a Little Cheesy, But These Fondue Slippers Fit Great
Taking the ‘barefoot shoe’ concept to its breaking point are these Fondue Slippers, a custom-fitted pair of shoes created by casting a mold of the wearer’s feet in liquid PVC. The slipper comes as a DIY kit in a variety of colors, made at home by dipping your feet into the solution and then hardening the mold with a hair dryer.
The result is a slipper that’s entirely custom and extremely thin, feeling as close to barefoot as a shoe ever can. It can be worn both inside and out, folding the back down for quick slip-ons. Decorations can be drawn directly on the PVC with a marker.
PVC definitely doesn’t breathe very well, but the Fondue is fully washable so you can keep your feet fresh, avoiding any unpleasant associations with the cheese dip of the same name. Or at least, that’s the idea. But really? Really. Aren’t your feet going to sweat and get nasty the second you put these things on, so you can make some lovely squeaking noises as you walk? Interesting idea, but maybe not so realistic for actual wear, unless you’re masochistic like that.
The design does seem to be somewhat tongue-in-cheek, considering the design firm’s name is Fondue. It was a great way to get them some internet attention. They’re also a reminder not to take life too seriously. Here’s some more info about the firm FONDUE.
“In 2012, Satsuki Ohata faced a fondue phenomenon for the first time, when he was doing as artistic act of spreading silicon on the street. Since that encountering, he has been exploring the phenomenon through design and art and material development. In 2018, FONDUE, Inc. was founded by Satsuki Ohata. Fondue, Inc. is a Design/Art Studio & Materials Development Laboratory. All works are created through fondue inspired experimentation.”
