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If you’re tired of lace-up sneakers and boring fluffy house slippers, there’s a new type of footwear that’s sure to shake up the shoe industry. Inspired by 1960s house party cuisine, Fondue Slippers are a thin replica of your foot that combines the satisfaction of not wearing shoes with all the fun of melted cheese. They’re kind of like those barefoot running shoes, just without all the false health benefit claims and they’re coming to you straight from (of course) Japan.

Tokyo-based freelance designer, Satsuki Ohata, created Fondue Slippers, which were exhibited at the Milano Salone Satellite 2014. He was inspired by, you guessed it, fondue, creating a production process that’s similar to dunking a piece of bread into cheese.

▼ Ohata and his muse.fondue slippers

Submerging your entire foot into heated PVC creates an exact replica of your tootsies, which can then be worn. Here’s a visual of the Fondue Slipper making process:

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The final product is as bizarre as it is useful:

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Fondue Slippers can be used as a true slipper by folding the heel down:

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Or worn over the heel for outdoor use:

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The Fondue Slipper website claims you can even run in these perfectly fitted shoes. Just make sure to avoid any pebbles, rusty nails, baby teeth, or anything that isn’t a nice flat surface…there’s very little standing between your foot and agonizing pain.

▼ And keep your feet clear of those closing train doors while you’re at it.fondue slipper7

Ohata hopes to eventually sell at-home kits, allowing anyone to make their own pair of custom kicks. The photo below is featured on the Fondue Slipper site with the caption, “Make my Fondue Slipper! (In the future).”

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Since they’re made of polyvinyl chloride, or PVC (as in the stuff PVC pipes are made of), Fondue Slippers are fully customizable and washable.

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▼ Just don’t forget that these are shoes…and try to remember all the places you’ve stepped before washing them in the same place you brush your teeth.fondue slipper11

But for all the potential foot injuries and drawbacks, Fondue Shoes are an interesting alternative footwear that’s sure to get attention in a variety of colors.

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We’re not sure how popular Fondue Slippers will be or how comfortable they are to wear (we’re thinking your foot will get mighty sweaty wrapped in plastic), but it’s definitely an interesting idea. And at the very least, Fondue Slippers will satisfy your urge to dip your foot into a vat of hot melted cheese.

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Source: Satsuki Ohata via Gizmodo Japan
Images: Satsuki Ohata