Frankenstein Shoes Are a Monster Fad

Are you a man who’s light-headed? That’s fine--just don’t be light-footed. Why? Because men’s shoes with chunky, thick soles are taking the Valley by storm.

Many of these thick-soled beauties come in black suede or leather with buckles on the side, suggesting the style of Frankenstein’s footwear. But the famous monster never had it so good. The shoes are available in fanciful shades of cobalt blue, green, or wild red leopard spots.

“Clothes in general are getting rounder and looser,” claims one Tarzana boutique manager. “Bigger clothes dictate the heavier shoes.” That may be true, but some fans of the fat shoe don’t even realize they’re being fashionable.

“I just wear them because they’re comfortable,” chirps a college student.

Other enthusiasts seem to know exactly what Frankenstein had in mind. “These are shoes for the city, a dark and dangerous place,” says a tortured, Burbank-based screenwriter. “That half a pound of rubber under my feet makes me feel powerful. Also,” he confesses, “I like the height. It makes me more intimidating at meetings.”

And, of course, some fashionable men wear them strictly to be trendy, for their snob appeal. One Valley hipster, who owns three pairs of the clunky shoes, sniffs: “I wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a patent-leather Italian disco loafer.”

FO