A brand of barefoot shoe just settled a lawsuit re: claims they made about their shoes. Some people may be entitled to a refund.
Multiple stories have shown up on my Facebook feed, with both the article writers and the commenters smugly saying, "I knew these were crap. And they're ugly and for hipsters. Great way to never get a date. Yuck. Tacky."
I happen to own two pairs of these shoes, and my husband does too. They are the comfiest shoe I own--I wear them whenever I have to walk or stand all day, and my feet always feel way better at the end of the day than they would have if I had worn traditional shoes. My husband used his for running, but found that beyond the ~12K range his calves just couldn't keep up. But he still wears his for short distances, and around the house.
So what if you think they're ugly. Some people really like theirs. There's no need to make unnecessary derogatory statements about them. They're like everything else--try them if you want, and if they work great, and if not then move on.