If we had a dollar for every time we experienced a what is that? moment during NYFW, we'd probably be able to actually afford some of the pieces we're gawking at. Take, for example, the boots shown at Hood By Air that are such an illusion, you can't tell if someone's coming or going. Or, Jeremy Scott's toothpaste bag (seriously, that is an actual thing). But, nothing gave us as hefty a dose of nostalgia (or had us doing a pug tilt) like gender playful Gypsy Sport's rendition (or flat-out copy, rather) of the early aughts' "Chinese slipper." Yes, it's exactly what you think it is.
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These mesh slip-ons might look familiar for a couple of reasons: 1. In the late-'90s/early-'00s you paired them with your favorite beat-up flares; 2. You caught their last appearance two seasons ago, at Balenciaga's spring 2016 presentation, when Alexander Wang tried to slip his version of the $1.99 house shoe right past us for what was, presumably, hundreds of dollars. Needless to say, Twitter wasn't here for it.
At Gypsy Sport's spring 2017 show, however, the "Chinese slipper" was presented in true form, as we remember it, in an assortment of colors atop a variety of tube socks. Perhaps that styling helped the shoes make sense in the Fashion Week context. And, though we can't officially draw the cultural appropriation card, since these pieces don't actually have traditional Chinese origins, we can gauge whether or not a trend is due for a comeback. And this one, unfortunately, came too soon