Ten Toes Down
2026 Is The Year Of The Freaky, Kinky, High-Fashion Shoe
Pick your poison, weirdos.
Copenhagen Fashion Week took the Danish capital by storm in early August, and while the Internet suddenly was up in arms about what Scandi style actually is and what the week means in the larger fashion-capital conversation, there was one runway hit that cut through the noise: Studio Constance’s footwear. They debuted Havaianas’ first-ever heeled sandal, and with its rubber big-toe cap and tilted heel, confirmed what we suspected: Shoes are downright freaky in 2026.
The Havaianas Kitten Heel is a natural progression for the wacky footwear we’ve been seeing all over the runways since the start of the year. At Jack McCullough and Lazaro Hernandez’s debut Loewe runway show, the shoes were molded from PVC into futuristic booties complete with neon socks to be mixed and matched at one’s whim; Chanel also had its viral moment of 2026 via the heel-only sandals — if you can even call them shoes — that were shown with multiple beachy looks, stretching the definition of footwear to its outermost limits.
Indeed, the name of the clear-shoe game got its confirmation via Lyst’s Q2 Index, which rounds up the hottest shoes of the moment and included not only Skims’ jelly shoes, but Chloé’s constantly sold-out heeled jelly shoe that is reminiscent of a Polly Pocket accessory (don’t you just want to chew on them?). It’s an indication that as clothes become simpler and basics develop into the cornerstone of even the most experimental labels, footwear is where the girls are willing to take risks and try something a bit, erm, perverted.
Anthony Vaccarello of Saint Laurent has been playing around with the length of his runway shoe’s toe point, going from a casual spike to an extended multi-inch toe that could impale someone if used as a weapon. He gave fans like Adéla a clear-shoe moment with a PVC edition, and updated his freakishly pointed-toe loafer for the men on the runway with a clear version that shows off your pedicure while still keeping your feet away from the city’s dirty streets.
It might feel weird (or totally natural, depending on your viewpoint) to associate kinkiness with footwear, but more of our favorite designers are bringing subversion to shoes and creating new shapes that feel not only different and fresh, but weird in the best way. Alessandro Michele’s Valentino Révélé open-toe pumps have toe cleavage encased by a PVC strap, creating a delightfully odd encasing for one’s foot, that also mirror the spectator-pump craze seen at Balenciaga and Chanel that creep up the face of the foot to provide an edgy look that still reads mature. Whether you want to clear up the air and flex your designer pedicure or dip your toes into downright sexy and kinky styles, the moment is ready to adorn your phalanges with fantastically weird designs that do the heavy lifting of spicing up your outfit.
