1960s
Birkenstocks
German sandals of the counterculture

Dr. Scolls' Original Exercise Sandal
These were all the rage with the miniskirt craze, claiming that they toned women's legs

1970s
Dansko Klompen
Worn specially by men

Earth Shoes
Orthopedic, the heel is lower than the back to mimic walking on sand

Ecco Creepers
Worn by Danish teachers, rapidly took over the US in the 70s

1980s
Miami vice men's suit sandals

Xuxa Shoe
Latin American version of the Jellies

The "grown man in a kid's sandal"

1990s
The Caterpillar worker boot
These are ok if worn to work, the problem was that men started wearing them to complete the "sexy construction worker" look

Teva hiking sandal and its beachy counterpart Reef Convertible


My opinion is anyhting unisex is never a good idea.
The Spice Girls phenomenon (platforms on everything)

Platform sandals

Platform tennis shoes

Grunge on a platform
2000s
Men's designer leather sandals
City sandals on men is not a good idea.

Uggs
Surfers on the beach, models in miniskirts, Paris Hilton

Crocs
Ugly shoes I love to hate, don't care if they're comfy...it's just wrong (plus they take up too much space when traveling)

Worishofer Sandals
To continue with the "orthopedic" fashion statements

Vacuum Shoes
Crocs meets the vacuum..they look heavy and uncomfortable. Looks like the platform melted.

MBT
Supposed to improve posture...i'd rather grow a hump

Vibram barefoot running shoe
These make people look like toads... no one should pay that much to look that bad

.
This is one model that is always "in" here in Spain, it's the Avarca from Menorca (popularly the Menorquinas). Extremely unflattering in women, but a disgrace when worn by men.

And then there is the always bad idea of putting heels where they don't belong



The winner of worst most horrifyingly ugliest shoe ever made goes to.....

Mexican pointy toe boots!!!!! These are purely decorative, ugly, uncomfortable, ugly, ridiculous, did I mention ugly? Cowboy boots with Aladdin like toe tip...creativity should sometimes come in very small doses. A version of these, the Poulain shoe, was actually a fad of our Renaissance ancestors. The tip was sometimes so long it was tied to the pant with a device that was put near the knees. They were later banned ( for being rediculous I suppose)


Someone should warn Mexico! Beware of the pointy cowboy boot!!!