"Our customers wanted more flip-flop luxury"

Hamilton Nolan — Mon, 05 May 2008 13:17:59 EDT

See these flip-flops? They're not just any flip-flops. They're high fashion, "Married to the Mob" flip-flops, and they cost $42. Can you spot the reason why this is stupid? That's right: you pay ten times what you would pay for a plain pair of flip-flops, in order to have a brand name which is covered by your foot when you are wearing them. I imagine fashion snobs must just hang these flip-flops jauntily over their shoulder instead of slipping them on their feet, so that the logo can shine freely. In fact, the entire idea of paying extra for name-brand flip-flops is a bit ridiculous. But the price tag can get much, much worse than $42. Allow us introduce you to PechePlatinum—the "World's Most Expensive Flip-Flops."

PêchePlatinum uses PêcheBlu's patent pending ultra-sports shoe base with hand-matched crocodile straps for magnificent comfort. These ultimate flip flops are for those who want to express their individuality in a world of mass production.

Who wants to be seen as just another schlub wearing mass-produced flip-flops? "Our customers wanted more flip flop luxury and crocodile worked perfectly to add quiet elegance, which is the essence of our footwear," said the company's CEO, hilariously.

And here they are, in all their glory. They cost $400. Please email us if you spot these on the streets:

Streetwear Has Gone Too Far

Hamilton Nolan — Fri, 14 Mar 2008 16:13:21 EDT

Once upon a time there was hip hop clothing, worn by hip hop heads. As hip hop's popularity grew, that evolved into the nebulous "streetwear" category, worn not only by hip hop heads, but by everyone from downtown club kids to secretly rich trust fund hipster kids to skateboard rats. It's all a big mess! And all that crossing over amongst the formerly well-established, segregated categories of identity has inspired streetwear makers like LRG [via Satchel of Gravel] to do something totally uncalled for: create hoodies with built-in masks, in a misguided attempt at edginess that succeeds only in evoking the villains in the Karate Kid movie. The last straw? The newest one, featuring a wolf motif, complete with ears. Too much. Proof: These three mask hoodies, in ascending order of un-necessity:

The Friday the 13th:

The Skeleton Man:

The Big Bad Wolf:

[pics via Format/ Karmaloop]

Gawker: streetwear

"Our customers wanted more flip-flop luxury"

Streetwear Has Gone Too Far