Sandals In The Snow

Teenagers have always gone to extremes to be cool, but until now they haven't actually risked frostbite. That changed this winter as teens throughout the frigid Northeast and blustery Midwest began sporting flip-flops and open-toed sandals on even the snowiest of days. The trend has gone international too: Britain's Prince William was spotted wearing flip-flops on a recent cold winter day.

"I'm not cold at all," claims Alex Donovan, 16, as she steps over a snowy New York City curb while wearing Tevas. Extreme-sports enthusiast Dave Lynford, 19, says baring your toes to the elements "is no big deal." Kathryn Smith, who sells shoes in New York, says summer footwear is selling way past the traditional season, and attributes the trend "partially to the extreme-sports craze--it's part of the uniform for these kids." Another lure may be TV shows like Ally McBeal, where the stars bare lots of skin even on cold Boston nights. (Never mind that the show is usually shot in sunny Southern California.)

Parents can protest for only so long. Tracey Hart, 14, admits her toes "get a little cold" as she walks through her Philadelphia neighborhood. Her mother Sandra just shrugs and expresses a hope that "the phase passes quickly and she doesn't get sick."