Er, they’re not? So what are they really?

I’ve seen these “These Are Not Shoes” tags on odd looking shoes footwear in foot lockers or shoe stores and in some department stores and they tend to confuse me. If they’re not shoes even when they look like shoes then what are they? Or least, answer me this, what do you call them? Gah.

And I’m just referring to the old collection of Sanuk. Now, they’re releasing a new one — the Artist Collection. And they still claim that “These Are Not Shoes.”

By tradition, Sanuk comes out with certifiable crazy, out-of-the-box and creative ideas to dress your feet. I have to admit that I first saw this style from this particular brand before I spotted the ones Crocs released, which looks quite similar. And this non-shoe pair is actually pretty popular with guys. I prefer ones who wear it with long shorts. For the ladies, I’ve seen some wear it with skinnies or shorts.

Sidewalk Surfers. That’s what they call them, I think. And they’re actually sandals. This came from the brand that was initially devoted to the surfers and beachcombers. And they’ve managed to cook up this crazy idea of bringing the spirit and essence of the casual, laid-back lifestyle that their original following have in pair of sandals.

Sanuk is all about the “pursuit of happiness”, the literal English translation of the Thai word. And for them, a happy feet makes a happy person. And they believe they can achieve world domination through sandals and happiness. It’s that simple.

On Sanuk’s latest, the Sidewalk Surfers Artists Collection, they got a crazy bunch of artists together and let them go wacko on the sandals, hence, creating a mix of kitsch, pop art, anime, and eco-friendly elements that they hope to inspire Sanuk owners to be as creative and artistic in coming up with their own designs on their own pair. Oh, yea. Do let me know if you own one!

Having tried them on, they actually feel comfortable. The design they opted to give me isn’t exactly my style (too colourful) but I love the smiley. Hehe. It’s also cool to know that I’m one of the select few to first own a pair from the latest collection.

You can see more photos taken with my Nokia 6700 Classic of the Sanuk Sandals from the Sidewalk Surfers Artist Collection in my OVI account. I reckon this pair will challenge me to widen my style repertoire. LOL.

Sanuk Concept Stores: Glorietta 4, SM Mall of Asia, SM Megamall, SM The Block, and SM Fairview.

Photo © 2009 Sasha Manuel