The 32 Most Controversial Purple Carpet Footwear Ever

Purple carpet trend is commonly synonymous with glamorous heels, however the celebrities on this listing went in opposition to the grain. From sneakers and mismatched sneakers to animal-inspired slippers paired with ballgowns, these daring footwear selections broke the principles and have become defining fashion moments. Listed here are 32 of probably the most unconventional, controversial, and memorable red-carpet shoe moments.

Lily Allen’s Purple Carpet Sneaker

In 2008, Lily Allen’s informal but female purple carpet fashion impressed youngsters all over the place. It is no shock that even for the 2008 Glamour Girls of the 12 months Awards she swapped her heels for sneakers, turning the purple carpet on its head. The mixture of informal consolation and high-fashion glamour made an announcement about embracing individuality, created appears to be like for a whole technology of temper boards, and introduced Alice in Wonderland vibes to streetwear.

Helena Bonham Carter’s Mismatched Golden Globe Footwear

Helena Bonham Carter embraced her eccentricity on the 2008 Golden Globes along with her inexperienced and purple mismatched sneakers. As a nominee for the Globe for Finest Actress in a Movement Image, Comedy or Musical for her position as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, her offbeat selection was a real reflection of her signature off-beat, quirky fashion. Whereas she could not have taken dwelling the prize, she nonetheless confirmed the world that guidelines have been meant to be damaged, even on some of the glamorous nights in Hollywood.

Nicki Minaj’s Toy Retailer Boots

We’re not fairly certain how one can describe these boots, not to mention how Nicki Minaj is strolling in them. Nicki Minaj one way or the other wore a whole FAO Schwartz and a Construct-A Bear on her ft on the 2011 MTV VMAs, a playful, larger-than-life addition to her already notoriously daring look. With vibrant colours and outsized proportions, these boots have been a nod to enjoyable, fantasy, and breaking the purple carpet mould. Nicki proved that trend might be each daring and playful—and deeply, deeply polarizing.

Solange Knowles’s Peek-a-Boots

On the Manus x Machina Costume Institute Met Gala in 2016, Solange Knowles confirmed up in futuristic “peek-a-boots” that have been as tech-inspired as they have been daring. The intense yellow boots seem like hooked up to her pants and hooked beneath her shoe, however as one cohesive garment. An ideal mix of high-fashion innovation and avant-garde design, these boots captured the spirit of the night time and Solange’s fixed dedication to pushing trend boundaries.

Hailee Steinfeld’s Oscar Kicks

At her very first Vainness Truthful Oscars social gathering, Hailee Steinfeld paired her flowy, rose-colored tea-length ballgown with purple sneakers. Whereas a 14-year-old sporting sneakers on a purple carpet is not “controversial”, it bucks development whereas nonetheless remaining age-appropriate. The youthful vitality of her footwear supplied a refreshing break from conventional purple carpet expectations—particularly for the stress of being a first-time nominee. Who says Oscars afterparties can’t be comfortable?

Selena Gomez’s Sq. Peg / Spherical Gap Footwear

Selena Gomez’s sneakers on the 2017 InStyle Awards featured an sudden design with a mixture of one heel with a spherical ball, and one heel with a sq. block heel. The unconventional sandal was designed by Jacquemus, which referred to as it the “Samba” sandal. The revolutionary and architectural fashion paired completely along with her low-key, pared-down little black gown. We love a bit one thing further with regards to one thing easy, and these sandals hold the attention entertained.

Tilda Swinton’s Bear Claws

Pairing bear claw sneakers with a basic outsized swimsuit is so Tilda Swinton, it ought to be put within the dictionary. Rocking these bear claw-inspired loafers on the 2024 Charles Jeffrey Loverboy present, the platform idler is enhanced with 4 silver prongs meant to seem like a bear’s claw on every shoe. The cool, outsized design is the whole lot we love about Swinton’s trend persona—fearless, cool, and would match proper in on a runway and in a forest.

Dua Lipa’s Boots Have been, In Truth, Made for Strolling

Dua Lipa made an announcement on the 2017 ASCAP Awards in her daring, thigh-grazing boots. Paired with a one-shoulder robe, these Vetements x Manolo Blahnik Waist-Excessive Satin Boots from their 2017 collaboration give Catwoman or any variation of feminine superhero, however in a pageant queen’s physique. Is sporting thigh-high boots actually that sensible? We would not say so. However has Dua Lipa ever been identified for being sensible, particularly on the purple carpet? We predict not, and we all know you agree.

Girl Gaga Modifications Purple Carpet Footwear Endlessly

Girl Gaga’s iconic Armadillo heels on the 2010 MTV VMAs have been pure trend artwork. Designed by Alexander McQueen for his closing assortment, Plato’s Atlantis, these towering sneakers—every pair is roughly 12 inches from the highest to the only, with a 9-inch stiletto heel—bent actuality, with their sharp angles and alien-like form. Gaga wore these sneakers near-constantly through the Fame Monster stage of her profession, together with within the music video for “Unhealthy Romance.” It wasn’t only a shoe; it was a declaration of Gaga’s transformative energy within the trend world, and an homage to her friendship with McQueen.

Saoirse Ronan’s Halfsie Shoe

Saoirse Ronan’s half-exposed sneakers are relatively perplexing, and definitely a daring transfer that challenges typical purple carpet expectations. With their uncommon design, the sneakers are like “Little Miss Piggy Went To Market,” however as a substitute of the market, it is a purple carpet. This looks like the right shoe for the indecisive; for those who do not need to expose all your toes, what if solely your large toe have been on show? It absolutely might prevent cash on a pedicure. The actress proves she will make something work, even footwear that defies conference.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Purple Carpet Oopsie

Stars: They’re Simply Like Us! When you’ve ever forgotten to tear off a tag to a shirt earlier than leaving the home or found you left the sizing sticker in your new pants, you are not alone. Gwyneth Paltrow’s shoe faux-pas on the Tracy Anderson studio opening grew to become an immediate meme when she was noticed with a price ticket nonetheless hooked up to her designer sneakers. Whether or not intentional or not, the element added a humorous twist to an in any other case polished look—highlighting the stress of perfection in celeb trend.

Enjoyable reality: The Cannes Movie Competition has a strict gown code for purple carpets, together with requiring ladies to put on excessive heels. A yr after an argument involving ladies being turned away for sporting heels, Julia Roberts, at her first-ever Cannes purple carpet, rebelled in opposition to the coverage by strolling the Cash Monster purple carpet—barefoot. The transfer felt liberating, genuine, and downright empowering, a rebel in opposition to previous, outdated norms that should not be strictly abided by any extra.

Angelina Jolie’s Horned Heels

Angelina Jolie’s customized Christian Louboutin heels, designed to imitate Maleficent’s horns, have been a daring nod to her iconic character. These sneakers weren’t simply footwear; Jolie labored with Louboutin to design these wedges, referred to as the Malangeli wedges, with a sculpted heel that mesmerizingly curls away from the only to imitate a wisp of smoke. The sneakers have been so common, Louboutin offered them as a limited-edition, with earnings from the sale of the Malangeli heels going to SOS Kids’s Villages, an NGO that gives properties for orphaned and deserted kids, a charity of which Jolie has been a protracted supporter.

Girl Gaga’s Meat Boots

The place have been you the primary time you ever heard “Girl Gaga Meat Costume,” and why do you keep in mind it prefer it was yesterday? Girl Gaga’s gown, hat, boots, and purse manufactured from uncooked meat on the 2010 MTV VMAs was a trend second like no different. The look’s shock worth—her third of a profession breakthrough night—mixed with the following controversy and discourse, made it some of the iconic anti-fashion statements in historical past. Gaga turned purple carpet trend into artwork and a type of public protest, and the world watched in awe, or disgust, relying on who you ask.

Chloë Sevigny’s Polarizing Shoe

Chloë Sevigny’s love for Maison Margiela’s Tabi boots has lengthy been a staple of her anti-fashion strategy. Per the model, “The Tabi split-toe is impressed by the normal Fifteenth-century Japanese sock bearing the identical title—launched for the Maison’s debut assortment in 1989.” Some individuals consider they seem like horse hooves, some individuals love them, and Sevigny is likely one of the latter individuals, having been noticed within the boots time and time once more. Whether or not on the runway or the purple carpet, these unconventional sneakers are a testomony to her boundary-pushing trend sensibility.

Kim Kardashian’s Barely There Shoe

Kim Kardashian’s no-heel sneakers on the 2024 Met Gala have been nearly invisible—you may must get actually near see them. In her controversial sweater-and-corset silver Maison Margiela robe, the shoe selection was as sensible because it was a basic Kardashian trend problem. “That is my shoe,” Kardashian defined to Vogue in a Met Gala prep video, holding up a shoe that had no heel and solely a really tall clear platform. “It is intelligent as a result of if I had a shoe with a heel, the heel will get caught within the steel skirt. And in order that was our concern of strolling.” She apparently realized actually, actually quick that… there is no leaning again in these sneakers.

Tessa Thompson’s ‘Ugly’ Heels

Do not take it out on us: Thom Browne followers initially dubbed this the “ugly shoe”. Whereas your mileage could range in your opinion of the shoe’s attractiveness, these loafer-platform-stiletto brogue heels are so basic Thom Browne, we’re not shocked it took somebody as trendy as Tessa Thompson to make them look wearable on the purple carpet. 2017 was the yr of the “Ugly Shoe” rise in trend, and whereas we’ll allow you to make your personal opinion on this one, you may’t say Thompson is not pulling them off.

Lizzo’s Purple Carpet Sneakers

Lizzo made an affect on the 2019 MTV Film & TV Awards by pairing white sneakers adorned with gold chains along with her glamorous, vibrant inexperienced feathered purple carpet look. Her choice to pair the athletic footwear with high-fashion apparel defied conference, exhibiting you could nonetheless seem like a star with out the ache of heels—particularly since afterward that night time, she would steal the present along with her Sister Act 2-inspired efficiency of her hit observe, “Juice.”

Kristen Stewart’s Purple Carpet Insurrection

Wearing silver, Kristen Stewart ought to have gained the Palme D’or for her choice to take away her heels on the 2018 Cannes Movie Competition. The transfer was a gesture of rebel in opposition to the strict guidelines of the Cannes purple carpet—notably, that girls are required to put on heels. Stewart has spoken concerning the footwear double commonplace at Cannes to The Hollywood Reporter: “There’s undoubtedly a definite gown code… Individuals get very upset at you for those who don’t put on heels or no matter,” she mentioned in 2017, including that “for those who’re not asking guys to put on heels and a gown, then you may’t ask me both.” A robust assertion of autonomy.

Rowan Blanchard’s Unconventional Wedge

Rowan Blanchard embraced eccentric footwear on the premiere of Euphoria in 2019 along with her unconventional, wavy wedge sneakers. The exaggerated, summary heel, whereas not being too too excessive, in addition to the distinctive canary yellow coloration, made for a standout look that wasn’t afraid to problem purple carpet norms. Rowan proved that wedges might be each quirky and stylish, however nonetheless actually, actually wearable. That is how distinctive trend might be solely within the particulars.

Cara Delevingne’s Rainbow Certain Heels

Rainbow Brite went into retirement after seeing Cara Delevingne on the 2019 Met Gala. Her head-to-toe Camp-inspired rainbow runway includes a full-body swimsuit designed by Dior Haute Couture and sky-high rainbow Swarovski-encrusted platform sandals (and matching cane.) We have heard it is gauche to match your sneakers to your purse, however does that depend while you’re matching your sneakers to your strolling accent…and do guidelines even actually matter while you’re on the Met Gala?

Marion Cotillard’s Homage Heels

At first look, this outfit could seem easy and simple. However that is Marion Cotillard, individuals—she’s by no means been simple with regards to trend, ever. When you take a look at the heels of her pointy, silver Dior sneakers, they characteristic a singular sculptural design that elevate her look into an announcement piece of visible storytelling—a heel within the form of a feminine statue regarded as a fertility goddess, designed by former Dior artistic director John Galliano.

Daphne Guinness’s No-Heel Heels

Daphne Guinness took the idea of footwear to new heights—or relatively, no heights in any respect—along with her no-heel heels. The avant-garde design turned conventional footwear the other way up, questioning the very concept of what constitutes a shoe. Guinness has been sporting variations of the “no-heel” heel since 2015, being noticed rocking the heel-free sky-high platform ankle “boots” on each purple carpets and simply operating round and about within the streets of New York. And sure, she’s fallen in them. She advised Fashionista in 2015, “I do not thoughts falling down, to be trustworthy. What’s the taboo round falling down? You are imagined to really feel embarrassed. However you understand, gravity, man.”

Margot Robbie’s Cowbooties

Margot Robbie introduced some Western aptitude to the purple carpet along with her trendy cowboy booties. “Cowbooties,” maybe? Paired with a extra formal ensemble, these boots have been a playful twist on conventional purple carpet footwear, and have been very polarizing—some consider cowboy boots can be completely suited to this outfit on their very own, and others believed the sneakers did not swimsuit the outfit by any means. Robbie hardly ever misses on the purple carpet, however these would not make it to any rodeo.

Emma Thompson’s Kicks

One factor we’re not going to do is inform Emma Thompson what to do. She is a dame, she gave us some of the heartbreaking scenes in Christmas film historical past, she will put on no matter she needs on a purple carpet. The selection of sneakers and a swimsuit on a purple carpet is a cheeky nod to the significance of consolation in trend, proving you don’t must undergo for fashion. Plus, the lilac swimsuit instructions a cool sneaker over anything—it fits her completely.

Katy Perry’s Sky-Grazing Excessive Heels

Katy Perry’s sky-high heels on the 2024 Billboard Girls In Music Awards have been as dramatic as they have been jaw-dropping. Sporting classic Elevated Court docket sneakers from Vivienne Westwood’s fall 1993 assortment, the exaggerated platforms made her one of many tallest stars within the room, including an extra 12 inches to Perry’s 5’8 body. How daring of a transfer was it to put on these sneakers? Famously, Naomi Campbell fell on the runway sporting these 12-inch platforms, and made them so infamous different manufacturers believed it was faked and supplied to pay her to detect their runways, too.

Who wants a pedicure when you may have an entire foot encased in gold? Maya Rudolph, apparently, when she rocked the black Schiaparelli Trompe-L’Oeil heels on the purple carpet for Loot‘s second season. The sneakers characteristic an uncovered gold toe meant to be a bit absurd and avant-garde, not dissimilar to Rudolph’s humorousness. Right here, Rudolph made an unforgettable purple carpet assertion, mixing fashion with shock. This is not the shoe’s first purple carpet look, both: Doja Cat additionally wore the heels to attend the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lion Paw Heels

Sarah Jessica Parker’s lion paw pumps at a premiere for I Do not Know How She Does It have been a right away showstopper. The Christian Louboutin Alex Lion Paw Pumps captured the creativeness of trend lovers all over the place, together with Parker and Blake Energetic, who was additionally noticed sporting the freaky lion paw pumps. Parker at all times embraces the wild, animalistic facet of trend, bringing drama and class to the purple carpet—however this can be little too The Lion King for even us.

Rihanna’s Excessive Gladiator Heels

The queen of bringing avant-garde to the lots, Rihanna’s excessive gladiator heels from the 2017 Met Gala solely enhanced her Comme des Garçons piece. Unhealthy Gal RiRi wore a pair of customized purple DSquared2 thigh-high lace-up stilettos—referred to as “RiRi Sandal” after her—with crystal gildings on the carpet. With thick ropes twisted into spiraling straps, her heels have been as ingenious as they have been eye-catching. Rihanna at all times is aware of how one can make an entrance, and these sneakers have been no exception.

Sarah Paulson’s Unmatched Gems

Sarah Paulson’s gem-encrusted asymmetrical heels on the premiere of Glass have been an ideal mix of luxurious and quirk. She paired purple, outsized leather-based gown with a pair of strappy purple heels with heels that probably might seem like, at face, two completely different sneakers. One shoe has a purple strap throughout her toes, the opposite’s ankle strap adorned with crystals. However this can be a pair designed deliberately to be mismatched — earlier comparable types have been seen on the purple carpet worn by the likes of Nicole Kidman and Naomie Harris.

Billie Eilish’s Sneaker Suits

Billie Eilish wasn’t the primary artist to put on sneakers on the Grammy purple carpet, however in 2020, she served a singular and formula-breaking take. Ditching the normal heels for a pair of Gucci Flashtrek sneakers with black and inexperienced mesh suede and leather-based paneled uppers, she accomplished a head-to-toe lime inexperienced Gucci-and-crystal- emblazoned swimsuit (that additionally matched her hair). Billie’s look broke away from the formal trend norms. Her fashion is a celebration of consolation and confidence, proving that being true to your self is at all times in vogue.

Jorja Smith’s Matching ‘Match + Ft

Jorja Smith confirmed as much as the 2020 BRIT Awards polka-dot pattered, warm-toned jumpsuit designed to resemble a warmth map—and it was accomplished with matching slouchy boots. The signature Jean Paul Gaultier-patterned outfit offers pure superhero, and was very polarizing amongst her followers. Conscious of the memefication of the look, Smith requested her Instagram followers what superpower the outfit appears to be like like she has. The most effective responses: “Making grown males cry.”