Who let the dogs out?
A-list hunks are being caught barefoot — in public.
Before you ask, no, they’re not at the beach, nor are they darting down the driveway to grab the mail. They are baring all 10 toes on the scorching hot Los Angeles pavement as they run errands and grab a bite — leaving the internet scratching its head.
“Barefoot boy summer,” which supersedes “short king spring,” is the free-spirited cousin of “hot girl summer,” a 2019 trend inspired by Megan Thee Stallion’s iconic “hot girl” attitude.
The phrase — or, rather, lifestyle — is for people who are the “life of the party,” unapologetically themselves and can “be a bad bitch,” the rapper told the Root.
The new barefoot trend, which toes the line between normalcy and absurdity, is a stark contrast to the freakishly large footwear that has been en vogue as of late.
A stripped-down rebuttal to the likes of MSCHF’s Big Red Boots and Prada’s puffy loafers, taking the dogs out for a walk, so to speak, appears to be gaining traction.
On the runway, Etro’s men’s spring 2023 collection featured models wearing breezy styles, many sporting chunky toe rings that could only shine without footwear.
Meanwhile, the campaign for Gravalot’s men’s spring 2023 collection was set on a beach with not a shoe in sight. That same season, Arturo Obegero’s futuristic menswear line lacked kicks of any kind.
Even famed fashion designer Karl Lagerfeld once said “being barefoot is chic.”
But the thought of stepping on a grimy city street without any foot protection — not even those webbed running contraptions — is a stomach-churning prospect. Just think of all the pee, puke and pathogens pickling the pavement. Yuck.
The podiatric intrigue began last month when resurfaced photos of “Euphoria” heartthrob Jacob Elordi walking barefoot with coffee in hand circulated online. The snaps of the Aussie actor, 25, became a viral sensation, but cringing critics called him a “menace.”
“Did you go into the coffee shop barefoot? That’s nasty!” TikToker Blakely Thornton said in a clip slamming the star’s nonsensical garb.
Amid the Elordi buzz, musician Mike Sabath, a member of Shawn Mendes’ infamous smoothie squad, was spotted strutting down a busy Malibu street sans shoes. People online questioned his decision to amble through LA with unshod feet, with some saying they “hate it.”
“I generally don’t wear shirts or shoes, honestly,” Sabath, 25, told New York Magazine’s the Cut, which first declared the liberating fad. “I just feel more free.”
The Post reached out to Sabath and Elordi for comment.
While the trend might not be so far-fetched for the California coast, most New Yorkers, on the other hand, won’t touch sandals — let alone flip-flops — with a 10-foot pole.
Unless you’re Drew Barrymore, whose au naturel attire is just a step too far.
The daytime host, 48, was photographed two years ago barefoot on the streets of Manhattan clad in sweats.
TikTokers, meanwhile, recoiled when they spotted NYC photographer Nick Hudson barefoot on the Bed-Stuy pavement. The Australian told New York Magazine it’s more acceptable back home, which might also explain Elordi’s lack of acceptable city footwear.
This may be the literal interpretation of Australia’s so-called “barefoot luxury“: the sustainably produced and elegantly understated style that has become a hallmark of the country’s fashion, bearing resemblance to the “quiet luxury” trend.
But podiatrists caution against throwing care to the wind and your shoes in the bin.
While some have adopted a totally barefoot lifestyle, experts at Manhattan’s Gotham Footcare warn of the dangers of always being barefoot.
Bacteria, viruses and fungi run rampant on the hard ground, not to mention there’s the possibility of stepping on something sharp.
But the podiatry group declared sand and grass generally safe. In other words, only unleash the dogs at the beach for an ideal (and hygienic) “barefoot boy summer.”