But it’s that obscenity that draws me to big-toe shoes. They provoke like a rude T-shirt — they’re asking for a double-take, a pointed comment, a question about your sanity. After all, these shoes merely shrug at the basic functions of a shoe. In our post-modern fashion landscape where tiny bags hold nothing except your clout, and fancy swimsuits aren’t meant to get wet, big-toe shoes confront what we think we know about shoes. Are shoes still shoes if it’s just a sole? How come these big-toe sandals make your feet look more naked than if they were just barefoot? Why do we think about toes as some kind of package deal? Come see all five, or none at all! In person, these shoes are as monstrous to witness as seeing someone at the supermarket attempt to pay for a single hot dog bun ripped from its package.