If you're looking for the "it" shoe of the summer — something easy, comfy, and practical — I might have found your footwear pipedream... or your footwear nightmare, depending on how you see it. Nike's fanny pack slides (yes, you read that right) combine the effortlessness of pool slides with the utility of your favorite waist-circling bag, and boast an aesthetic that's truly all their own. If you're a gutsy dresser who doesn't mind a little sartorial humor, these are for you.
I'm not ashamed to admit that three different fanny packs can be found in my wardrobe. I'm an avid music festival-goer and it's the only bag style that I feel 100 percent comfortable toting my belongings around in (read: it's the only bag style I'm confident can withstand the arm flails and hip shaking that constitute my super cool dancing), not to mention it's incredibly convenient. I strap mine across my body like a Girl Scout sash meaning whatever I need — my chapstick, phone, or wallet — is a zip away on my chest at all times. Fanny packs rule. Fanny pack shoes, though? I'm not sold quite yet. Bending down to unzip little feet pouches seems somewhat impractical — but then again, foot pouches are the ultimate place to store things you don't want to risk falling out of your bag like keys. Or to store candies like Jolly Ranchers, because you never know when a sweet craving will hit. (Who wouldn't be delighted to discover a well-preserved candy in their shoe from the last time they wore them?)
As reported by Hypebeast, the style is the newest iteration of Nike's iconic Benassi JDI slides, the treaded slip-on sandals that bare the Nike logo on their strap. They've gotten a wacky upgrade with bright new color ways and, of course, a mini fanny pack in place of the classic strap. The three new color combos include a lime green footbed with a turquoise blue fanny pack; a black footbed with a deep pink fanny pack; and a black footbed with a black fanny pack. The last offering is certainly the most subtle, though I'm partial to the more outlandish colors — they're super '90s and I could see The Fresh Prince wearing them.
I suppose the slides are one way to go totally hands free at a concert, so long as your phone has a pocket of its own. Pretty much everything else would be able to fit inside of the pouches of the bag-shoes. The shoes also boast a rubbery footbed with bottom treads, meaning they're likely quite comfy.
Can you tell that I'm torn about these slides? On one hand I feel like I'd rather just wear an actual, spacious fanny pack, but on the other, I'm thinking, "Why the hell not?" Extra storage is never bad and at the very least the shoes would give strangers a good laugh. Twitter, too, is on the fence about the new style, with people from both sides expressing their reactions to the release:
Although no official drop date bas been released as of yet, the slides will hit select Nike retailers soon. The jury's still out as to whether people will absolutely mob those select retailers in hopes of snagging a pair for themselves or if they'll be the most hyped shoe of the summer that no one actually wants. My guess is that it will be the former — seeing as Crocs with built-in socks and thong jeans not only exist but are in-demand, it's clear that people are into the weird, the WTF?, and the wildly hilarious when it comes to summer style.
