For all the people that wish they could go hands-free this summer, Nike has your back with a brand new slide. If you're the type of person that hates to carry a purse on their shoulder, or doesn't like the sweaty feeling of having a backpack stuck to their back, Nike's fanny pack slides are made with you in mind.
Fanny packs have long since been upgraded from the dad-in-Disneyland look or Midwesterner-abroad cliche, and have become the look du jour for many seasons now. They have graced everything from casual summer outfits to being cinched around glamorous party dresses, giving the adventurous style lover an ugly-chic element to work with to make their outfits more interesting. And for those who rather not dabble with the ugly, fanny packs have been elevated and streamlined into chic waist purses made with elegant and minimalist lines and luxe buckle hardware to make them feel more high fashion and less Goodwill. They have come in all shapes and sizes, but never have we seen them on a foot yet. That is, until now.
These new shoe hybrids take the shape of the iconic Nike Benassi JDI Slides — which are a staple both at the pool and on the feet of the athleisure obsessed — but have replaced the wide strap with a functioning fanny pack. The collection comes in three colorways, letting you choose from “Black,” “Black/Pink” and “Green/Blue.”
There isn't information on when they will drop yet (other than soon,) or how much they will cost, but the original slides are an affordable $25 so one can assume they will hover around that same price range.
Not only will they make a bold fashion statement and let you create some interesting contrasting looks that involve summer dresses, but they're also, admittedly, super useful. Even if you don't mind carrying a crossbody bag, you have to admit there are moments when stepping outside with a tote feels like overkill. When you go on a walk with your dog, or nip out to the grocery store just for bread, or head to the beach and need a place to stash your credit card and keys, these shoes are just the thing to keep those small essentials safe and close at hand.
And while they feel innovative and avant garde now, this isn't the first time in history we had fanny-pack-inspired shoes. Back in the 1920s, when women liked to go out dancing but also wanted to retouch their makeup in between Charleston sessions, shoes were created to carry a compact small enough to be slipped into a shoe buckle, which were aimed at "the modern party girl dancing too uninhibitedly to carry a handbag." While these slides might be a little hard to do the Foxtrot in, they essentially do the same thing.
Much like in the way Tevas were once considered the staple of hippie professors and granola Pacific Northwesterners — and are now styled with everything from summer maxi dresses to elegant evening wear — these shoes are sure to go the same route. They're just way too fun and creative to not land in the hands of fashion-loving people.
After all, there is a fascination with the ugly when it comes to fashion. Sometimes the uglier something is, the more fun it is to experiment with. Balenciaga creative director Demna Gvasalia put it best when he told Vogue, "I think it’s very interesting to find this line where ugly becomes beautiful or where beautiful becomes ugly. That’s a challenge I like. I think that’s a part of what fashion stands for."
If you're in the mood to push outside of your boundaries and try something new this summer, these handy Nike slides are the way to go.
