Are We Living in a Moment of Particularly Hideous Shoes?

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Jezebel officially owns the ugly shoes beat with today's slideshow of the thirteen most monstrous items of footwear ever created. We submit that the El Naturalista cork gladiator wedges above could easily be number 14—eco-friendly they might be, but eyeball-friendly they are not. It's worth asking, though, where clogs belong in the lineup. Jezebel calls them "one of the ugliest forms of footwear ever," but fashion magazines and blogs are pushing them for spring. We're on the fence, so let's turn to British blogger Lauren Bravo for her enumeration of the advantages of clogs:

They are chunky, thus far easier to wear than spring's other heel trend, 'the spindle'. They are wooden, thus far less likely to come apart in the middle of Oxford Street and require you to hop home. They are actually pretty flattering, if worn with a teeny skirt and black opaques or, when it gets warmer, bare legs with some sort of sundress and denim jacket. They are a subtle nod to the prairie trend that's set to hit, far preferable to a broderie anglaise smock and a stetson. And if anyone mocks you, you can kick them where it hurts and do some serious damage.

The same can't be said for those El Naturalista cork creatures, which look like they'd barely leave a mark.
· The 13 Ugliest Shoes In The World [Jezebel]
· Best shoes for spring - what you should and shouldn't be wearing [ShinyStyle]
· New Contenders in the Hunt for the World's Worst Shoes [Racked NY]