Chanel's Newest Shoe Isn't Even a Shoe, and I'm So Confused
Chanel's Newest Shoe Isn't Even a Shoe, and I'm So Confused
Hedy PhillipsWed, April 29, 2026 at 2:17 PM UTC
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Chanel Cruise 2027 showCredit: Kristy Sparow/WireImage; Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty -
Matthieu Blazy debuted his first Chanel Cruise collection on April 28
The collection mixed classics with modern aesthetics and included a shoe with no sole
The shoeless shoe is raising questions — including several from this PEOPLE Editor
All anyone has been able to talk about since Matthieu Blazy took over as artistic director at Chanel last year is how much of a creative genius he is. His first collections have been flying off the high-fashion shelves as people all over the world demand to wear his designs. And I don't disagree! He's already creating beautiful things at the storied French fashion house.
But, Matthieu, we really need to talk about these shoeless shoes from the 2027 Cruise show.
On April 28, Blazy showed the new Cruise collection in Biarritz, France, with a front row packed with famous faces that included Nicole Kidman and A$AP Rocky. Models stomped down the runway in logo pieces, classic textures and a touch of whimsy, per the show notes shared by W. What quickly caught everyone's eyes, though, were the unique shoes that only included a cap for the heel and a small tie around the ankle to hold it into place.
I have so many questions.
Chanel Cruise 2027 showCredit: Aurore Marechal/Getty
First of all, where does one wear such a shoe? As someone who currently resides in New York City, the thought of having most of my foot bare on a city street makes me want to cry. I think this would be the case with pretty much any city in the world, regardless of how clean it claims to be. What if I step on a rock and cut myself? What if the sidewalk is hot? What if I just don't like germs?
So maybe it's more of a beach shoe. This is the Cruise show, after all. But again, I inquire about the temperature. Have you stepped onto sand in the dead of August? I have never run faster in my life than when I tried to make it from the sidewalk to the ocean in Daytona Beach, Fla., in bare feet — and that's only Florida. The sand in hotter climates has got to be diabolical on bare skin.
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That means I'm obviously not wearing the shoes to the beach unless I wear another shoe on top or a rubber sock underneath for protection. And that's just simply not cute.
Chanel Cruise 2027 showCredit: Aurore Marechal/Getty
The only place I actually feel like I would wear such a shoe (other than around my house for some cute photos) is in the cool grass at home in the Midwest. We have some of the softest grass that actually feels incredible on bare feet, and a shoe like this would protect my heels while my toes get to have fun. But I don't know how many people back in small towns are spending Chanel money to play around in the grass. (I'm sure some are, and I support them.) We all live in our Crocs and Hey Dudes, and you won't change our minds.
This actually brings me to my biggest question: What are we looking at price-wise for a partial shoe? Regular price? Just checking.
Okay, so realistically, I get that this shoe is part of the whimsy in the collection. Not everything has to be grounded in practicality, because that's the fun of fashion.
Yet again, Blazy has done his job in creating something that has gotten people talking, bringing Chanel into the zeitgeist as a fashion house that's current, modern and very much stepping out of the fashion box.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
