Chanel’s controversial “barefoot sandals” claimed their first off-runway victim on Thursday, when Margaret Qualley stepped out at the London premiere of “The Dog Stars” wearing the baffling half-shoes with her black embellished gown.
The soleless style ignited a social media firestorm when it debuted as part of creative director Matthieu Blazy’s resort 2027 collection in April, and it’s not hard to see why. Covering only the wearer’s heels and leaving the toes and balls of the feet perilously exposed to the elements, the design was preposterously impractical.
And the jokes flew just as fast and furious when Qualley used them to free her feet on the step-and-repeat, with Instagram commenters labeling the scandalous sandals “atrocious,” “unsanitary” and “nasty,” among other things.
But believe it or not, this is far from the first time a famous person’s let their piggies hang out on the red carpet. Below, a (barefoot) walk down fashion memory lane.
Cameron Diaz (2003)
Wardrobe malfunctions happen! Moments before the premiere of “Charlie’s Angels: Full Throttle,” one of Diaz’s stilettos broke — but rather than panic, she shrugged it off and posed for photos sans shoes.
Zooey Deschanel (2005)
At the London premiere of “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy,” Deschanel cast aside her strappy sandals partway through the carpet. Comfort first!
Thomas Jane (2009)
Who says the ladies get to have all the free-footed fun? The “Hung” actor famously prefers to be shoeless whenever possible.
“I love the sensation of feeling my body connected with my environment whereas with shoes on, your feet are just imprisoned all day,” he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2016. OK!
Julia Roberts (2016)
The Oscar winner thumbed her nose (er, toes?) at the Cannes Film Festival’s polarizing ban on flats for the red carpet by whipping off her platforms and ascending the fest’s steps without footwear.
Kristen Stewart (2018)
Two years later, the “Twilight” star followed in Roberts’ (bare) footsteps by defiantly removing her pumps mid-premiere. (The film festival later updated its dress code to permit “elegant shoes and sandals, with or without heels.” Seems those sartorial protests worked!)
Emma Thompson (2018)
Four years after making headlines for presenting at the Golden Globes with her Louboutins in one hand and a martini in the other (“This red? It’s my blood,” she joked onstage of her red bottoms), Thompson showed off her pedicure while accepting a CineMerit Award at the Munich Film Festival.
Kesha (2026)
We R Who We R, and Kesha is someone who sometimes skips shoes. The pop star forwent footwear at the Grammys, letting her angelic feathered Atelier Biser gown do all the talking.
Doechi (2026)
The “Denial Is a River” rapper arrived at the Met Gala wearing a goddess-worthy Marc Jacobs look styled without shoes — the better to show off her jeweled anklets and intricate henna artwork.
“It’s very comfortable, but also very vulnerable,” Doechii told press at the event. “I feel like bare feet, it signifies a groundedness. I’m not scared of the floor!”
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