Over the years, everyone has seen some variation of these shoe photos floating around the internet. My girlfriends and I have commented that we’d like a pair in pink (of course) and also the very multi-purpose black!
After yet another friend sent me a photo of these (for the zillionth time) and also after talking to a friend who works at another dive shop who’s cousin’s mom said that Jessica Simpson designed these fins, I decided I was finally going to track down more info. Well, and like I said before, I actually wanted a pair!
I have to tell you, the “research” was pretty darned funny! On so many message boards, I came across seemingly serious discussions about how you’d WALK in these? Walk? No folks, these are sexy dive girl fins that just happen to have heels on them! (For the funny debates and dissections, you can check out what they had to say on the Snopes website).
Anyway, let’s address the Jessica Simpson rumors first. The only “evidence” I found of the claim that she’s going to design and sell these was from a March 2011 tweet which showed a picture of the fins and said “Scuba gear coming soon for @jscollection heels for every occasion;)”. Sounds more like an attention-getting headline for her shoe line than anything based in reality, huh?
Seems the first high heel fin-shoes were designed for a fashion show held down under in 2002. Lisa Carney takes the credit here and you can see that her version was a little more rock and roll.
The version we’re all interested in (see display of several color choices sitting atop boxes)was designed by Belgian artist Paul Schietekat and exhibited in 2006. He even came out with a “pro” version a couple of years later (black ones). If you’re not familiar with what the scuba industry typically calls pro versions of fins, they are often a stiffer (more powerful) version of an existing fin. I wonder what earned the black high-tide-heel the “pro” monicker?
Though Schietekat’s fin/shoes shoe/fins are the most well known (and the ones we all want), Jean Paul Gaultier also used some yellow and black ones of his own in his 2007 runway shows. Rumor has it that one of the models didn’t fare too well in her pair.
So, the bottom line and the sad ending to this story is that these fins are not for sale. That didn’t stop me from emailing Paul Schietekat and asking though! Aloha, Rachel
p.s. Paul Schietekat actually responded to my email request and let me know that these fins are no longer available!