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Kelly Clarkson is many things, from an American Idol winner to an unparalleled cover musician, but one thing she is not is a committed shoe-wearer, as proved by a recent interaction with Jim Gaffigan.
The comedian appeared on a recent episode of the pop star’s namesake talk show, but before they got to talking, Gaffigan had to get one topic of conversation out of the way: Clarkson going barefoot. The host went shoeless for the entire episode, and that choice was top of mind for Gaffigan. “What is going on with the feet?” the comedian asked, before launching into a high-pitched answer of his own. “I feel more grounded when I sing if I’m barefoot,” he mocked in the tone of a self-serious musician, “I can feel the ground.”
After letting out a chuckle, Clarkson admitted that “I do like performing barefoot,” but that her current shoeless state was not because of an imminent performance. The answer is a simple one, and one that legions of women can relate to knowing that high heels were invented by men (originally for men to wear, too).
“My feet hurt,” Clarkson replied, permitting women viewers to rightfully kick off their own shoes and walk around in comfort. “The stilettos I was supposed to wear today, I didn’t have enough middle fingers for it… so I just said no,” the singer explained.
While it’s somewhat of a missed opportunity not being able to see Clarkson deliver those middle fingers (perhaps there’s backstage footage), we of course support her decision to remain grounded, especially since it was a debut feat (or feet?). “I’ve never gone barefoot before, but that’s OK,” Clarkson said, “that’s what we’re doing.” Going toe-to-toe (sorry) with the host, Gaffigan said he wouldn’t personally expose his tootsies because “I respect the audience,” and if it were a choice between the pair, I’d much rather see Clarkson’s pedicured toes than whatever Gaffigan might be hiding down there.
Gaffigan went on to say that Clarkson might benefit from her barefoot status beyond simple comfort, suggesting that there’s “a portion of the internet” that will be thrilled by the singer’s exposed feet, which is as true as it is concerning. Taking it in her shoeless stride, Clarkson appeared giddy at the thought, saying she’s “going to get a whole new fanbase” as a result of her new look. Naturally, one now wonders whether her smash hit “Since U Been Gone” was written not about an ex, but about a pair of missing stilettos.
While it might be new for her, Clarkson is one of multiple celebs to step out barefoot in recent months. In September, Sebastian Stan inspired the unquenchable thirst of the internet by going shoeless for a Variety photoshoot, before Rachel Zegler did the same in a spread for Teen Vogue. Angelina Jolie took the trend from the page to the screen, ditching her shoes during her December appearance on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. While undoubtedly less chic, RFK Jr. got swept up in the shoeless hype last month, when he shared a video of himself frying a turkey without any protective footwear.
While the trend is open for people like Clarkson, the last person whose feet I want to see is someone who used them to bury a bear cub in Central Park. The video only shows the turkey, but who knows what else was on the menu for RFK Jr. Anyway, I’m off to get a pedicure!