HOT WAY TO LOOK LIKE A MUTANT: The Vibram Five Finger

If seeing Splice left you yearning for the body of a human and the feet of an amphibian, the wait is over. The Vibram Five Finger, which looks something like a glove that got lost on your foot, allows you to feel barefoot while walking confidently into stores with "No Shirt, No Shoes, No Service" signs. New research supports the notion that less is more when it comes to foot support, and the various models of the Vibram Five Finger all simulate the barefoot experience while protecting your soles and making your feet look weird and ugly and kind of like a Smurf's. (The company also insists that they help with proprioception, which is the perception of position and balance - what cops are testing for when they ask you to touch your nose. So you might want to throw on a pair of froggie feet next time you plan to hit the bars.) But they're not just for the one girl from Amherst who wandered around your freshman hall wearing rainbow toe socks. The shoes, available for $80-$100 at South End Athletic Company (652 Tremont Street, Boston, 617.391.0897) and REI (401 Park Drive, Boston, 617.236.0746), stand up to a multitude of intensive workout activities, from rock climbing to running marathons. They run up to the equivalent of a regular men's size 15, and they're therefore also good for wearing on hikes and drawing Bigfoot hunters off the real tracks. Buy a VFF, save a Sasquatch.