I Wore MSCHF's New "Backwards" Shoe in Public — and It Got Weird

Most of my outfits can be considered slightly eccentric — at least in comparison to others I see in the restaurant, grocery store, or doctor's office. When people ask me to describe my style, I often use the term "weird girl aesthetic," which isn't far off from fashion's kidcore trend. I opt for bright colors and quirky prints; I mix inspiration from all different decades; and I often switch things up with mismatched earrings or the casual bag that's shaped like a fish. But nothing I've worn comes close to MSCHF's BWD shoe, a sneaker that doesn't appear normal any way you look at it, stand in it, or style it.

The design, which will retail for $135 when it drops on the website and app on April 11, follows the brand's viral, cartoonlike, celebrity-beloved Big Red Boot, worn by Ciara, Janelle Monáe, and Lil Nas X, and reviewed by POPSUGAR Fashion Director Jessica Andrews. Being that many TikTok users have closed the chapter on their BRB (Big Red Boot) unboxings and outfit try-ons, there's space for a new weird shoe in town, and I can promise the BWD lives up to that exact description.

Slipping on the sneakers — which come with a splatter-paint rubber sole and mixed-media upper comprised of orange suede, white mesh leather, and gray-striped canvas — is easy enough, but they do feel immediately clunky and rather heavy when you take your first steps. If you aren't wearing socks, you can peer over the "tongue" of the shoe (which is also technically the heel), and see your toes through the top. Comfort-wise, I wouldn't recommend going bare, as my skin did get a bit irritated from rubbing against the leather, but I was unbothered in socks. In fact, walking in the BWD shoe after a while starts to feel like strolling in a platform slip-on, or maybe even a creeper with a treaded sole.

Wearing them out and about, I received many more head-turns than I do when I'm in, say, an asymmetrical dress with several unexpected cutouts — and that's how I know these sneakers are one of the wildest items I've ever worn. Needless to say, I kept my styling simple and sporty, but added in some kitschy touches to play to the vibe of the shoes. In other words, I let them take the lead as the focal point of my outfits, all of which you can check out ahead.

One thing you won't see? The quote that's stamped onto the inner-sole of the shoe, which reads, "Life can only be understood backwards, but it must be lived forwards." MSCHF's artistic products are known to double as commentary on the cultural zeitgeist and our world in general, and this saying definitely helps consumers make the intended connection. On a more personal level, it brings me back to the fact that, historically, I've never been afraid to try out a polarizing trend — and it doesn't look like that's changing any time in the near future.