The Chanel Barefoot Sandals Are Certainly… Something

 

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How do you feel about pumps? Are you a supporter of their return?

Were you a diehard wearer of the ballet flat back in the noughties? Did you pair the infinitely flat shoe with a pair of skinny jeans, a bolero, and a string of fake pearls?

Did you slip into a pair sporting a worn away sole that might as well have meant you were walking barefoot on the streets anyway? Were your arches uniquely affected?

Well, we see you the classic, controversial pump, and raise you the barefoot sandal – Chanel’s latest foray into the world of footwear that’s certainly.. divisive.

 

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Earlier this year designer Matthieu Blazy presented his 2027 collection for Chanel in Biarritz – a runway dominated by chic blacks, billowing cloths, and shoes that looked like they were barely there at all.

And that’s because they’re not. The shoe in question – also known as the invisible heel and the naked shoe – has no sole. It’s just a heel strapped to an ankle. That’s it.

 

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And yes, it’s a very pretty heel strapped to an ankle, and yes, Chanel absolutely know what they’re doing with a shoe like this, but is there anywhere you could actually wear this that wasn’t a runway… or the beach, maybe?

Imagine stomping down O’Connell street in these, or pounding the pavements of Limerick or Galway, your feet and the ground unexpected bedfellows, while your heel is ever so slightly lifted by a piece of fabric and a Chanel logo.

 

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London might not be Dublin, but it’s still certainly not a spot you’d expect to see these sandals out and about.

Nevertheless, Margaret Qualley donned them at a premiere this week, as she stepped out with her feet on full display to promote new film, The Dog Stars.

And as The Cut have so aptly said, she did get the dogs out.

And hey, if Margaret can do it, maybe there’s hope for the rest of us.