Is the Naked Shoe the New Naked Dress?
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Matthew VelascoWed, April 29, 2026 at 4:47 PM UTC
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Chanel’s ‘Barefoot Heel’ Ushers in the Naked ShoeMarc Piasecki - Getty Images
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In 1957, Gabrielle Chanel introduced the cap-toe shoe: a sling-back with a contrasting vamp that would go on to become an enduring house signature. The style has seen countless iterations since, but perhaps none as extreme, or flat-out subversive, as the one Matthieu Blazy presented at the Chanel cruise 2027 show yesterday.
Continuing to strip and rework the Chanel codes, the French-Belgian designer showed toe-baring shoes that were intentionally incomplete. The cap-toe went out the window as the design relied solely on what the brand called a “barefoot heel cap.”
Chanel cruise 2027.Kristy Sparow - Getty Images
At first glance, the models could have been mistaken as being completely shoeless. Most of the sandals, which featured a heel element secured by dainty ribbons, were nearly concealed under fringe maxi skirts, patterned resortwear dresses, and the fish-scale looks that closed the show. Others complemented cut-off rompers and swim caps, an outfit surely meant to be worn on the shores of France’s Basque coast, rather than in Paris’s Left Bank or SoHo in New York. For the less adventurous, there were plenty of traditional cap-toes on offer, from black-and-white Mary Janes to styles in bright, candy-colored hues and textured finishes like fishnet.
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The high fashion adaptation of freakish footwear traces back to Martin Margiela’s tabi, the off-puttingly chic split-toe silhouette that’s now become a staple of the mainstream stylish set. That has led to brands like The Row (which showed tights with built-in sock-shoes at Paris Fashion Week and caused a flip-flop frenzy with its Dune sandals) and Balenciaga (notably, its collaboration with Vibram FiveFingers) to question the need for arch support entirely.
Those design experiments, however weird, pale in comparison to Chanel’s proposal to let bare feet take center stage. Fashion has yet to see a brand so fully commit to the idea of going without shoes altogether. But if anyone can convince the masses to go shoe-free, it might just be Blazy.
Chanel Cruise 2027.Kristy Sparow - Getty Images
The morning after Chanel’s cruise show, Lyst published its 2026 Q1 Index with the French maison leading as the buzziest brand. Blazy’s It shoes—spanning mint-and-black cap-toes to angular mint kitten heels—from his debut Chanel collection ranked No. 2 in the accessory category behind Saint Laurent’s stand-collar jacket. They caused such a frenzy upon their release in March that customers were lining up in droves to get their hands on a pair.Will Chanel’s barefoot achieve the same commercial success? Only time will tell if it has legs—or toes.
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