Fugly Shoes for Fall 2007: Lace-Up Flats

Be afraid, be very afraid. There's a disturbing trend this fall to bring jazz shoes and other lace-up flats back from whatever dark, fashion hole they were banished to the first time around.

Designers say it's because people like comfort and ballet flats have enjoyed growing popularity in recent months, so hey, why not an 80s Jazzercise revival, right?

Wrong. We love comfort but you gotta draw the line somewhere.

Everyone from Marc Jacobs, Anna Sui, Jill Sander and ::gasp:: even Christian Loboutin are rolling out these monstrosities. Luckily, we haven't seen the style trickle down to the masses—yet.


Word to the wise: when these shoes become available in your price range (and it's only a matter of time before they do), drop everything and run, don't walk (or tap), in the opposite direction.