These ridiculous-looking shoes are actually very, very clever. Trust us.

Sometimes you don’t know what you truly need until it’s staring you right in the face.

Right now, it’s these shoes.

For the coolest only ???? Shop now the Gothika Sandal Heels from the #Dsquared2 Spring Summer 18 Runway here: https://t.co/Cb5vwSLzcX pic.twitter.com/G6HwmUW9gC

— Dean and Dan Caten (@Dsquared2) March 12, 2018

Created by Canadian designers DSquared2, they are Western-style ankle boot meets heeled thong. They retail for a casual $2,180.

And while at first glance they might look like the most ridiculous thing you’ve ever seen, they’re actually very, very clever.

Trust us.

Have you ever got up in the morning, looked at your weather app to work out what to wear and seen that it’s going to be cold in the morning and then really rather warm in the afternoon? These shoes are the perfect solution, keeping your ankle and heel warm while letting the rays of arvo sun tickle and warm your toes.

What about when you’re heading to a function or event with the dreaded dress code of “smart casual“? These are the literal DEFINITION – combining two casual footwear types, boots and thongs, smartened up by a heel.

Revolutionary.

Alright, alright. We’re not even convincing ourselves.

But there’s another reason these shoes are so clever and the 165 words above this sentence are proof.

We’re talking about them.

In a world where there has never been so much fashion so easily accessible, it’s the brands and products that make us pause during our mindless social media scrolling that are successful. And that doesn’t have to be because they’re brilliant – often the ridiculous works far better at capturing our attention. Think sock sneakers and bedazzled crocs.

@balenciaga just brought the Crocs game to new heights. Swipe ⬅️ to get a second look at the shoe they sent down the runway in Paris.

A post shared by Crocs Shoes (@crocs) on Oct 1, 2017 at 8:23am PDT

“Instagram has definitely played a huge role in many of the ‘questionable’ trends we’ve seen of late,” stylist Alyce Cowell told Mamamia previously for a story about the re-emergence of ugly shoes.

“There are so many trends that work on social media — especially when they’re styled, worn and photographed by an effortlessly cool fashion influencer or celebrity— that just don’t translate into real life.”

So don’t be surprised if we do see these shoes in magazine spreads and on fashion influencers for exactly that reason. And that’s who the designers are making them for, rather than trying to solve dressing for Melbourne’s erratic weather. Damn.

Listen: Laura Brown on the moment she was offered the Editor In Chief role at InStyle in America. Post continues after audio.

Shout out to all Dads.

Here at Mamamia we are always looking for ways to make Mamamia even better. Dads, we need you to help us do that by filling out this quick 15 min survey for us. Click the button below for your say.