Lars Byrresen Petersen

We have been living in the AI era much longer than you think When it comes to “artificial intelligence,” there are so many hopes and fears that touch on the most fundamental questions of existence, consciousness, freewill, and what type of society we are creating. A 2023 Reuters/Ipsos poll found that 65% of Americans express concern about AI’s direction. The truth is that an Artificial Intelligence system has been operating for hundreds, if not thousands of years; it’s called the Economy.

Few acts of protest are as universally understood—or as viscerally AND visually satisfying—as the humble shoe throw. The gesture transcends language barriers, cultural divides, and political affiliations, delivering a message as clear as the slap of a flip-flop against bare skin: You are not worthy.

From Ottolinger’s leg brace stilettos to Rick Owen’s drag queen gladiator heels, Instagram’s @larslala gives us the SS22 toe-down I suddenly have no more complaints about how lacklustre the attention to footwear has been this SS22. Because reader, I am filled with both joy and lust, having finally found hot off-the-runway heels to splatter over my Instagram grid.