Margaret Qualley wore controversial Chanel barefoot sandals on the red carpet at the London premiere of her new film The Dog Stars on August 20.
The fantastical footwear featured only the heel of a shoe, complete with the Chanel logo, and a single strap that wrapped around Qualley's foot. The design left her toes and the balls of her feet entirely exposed.
The 31-year-old actress and Emmy nominee paired the unconventional accessory with a fringy, V-neck black dress, also designed by Chanel, for the evening event in England's capital.
Chanel Designer Origins and Online Reaction
The sandals first drew public attention in April when Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy debuted the design as part of the label's resort 2027 collection. The shoes were never made available for purchase on the Chanel website, indicating that access to the footwear is limited to individuals selected by the fashion house.
Despite the designer origins, social media users expressed confusion over the choice after pictures from the premiere circulated on Instagram.
One social media commenter posted, "I can't believe someone actually wore these Chanel shoes!" Another user questioned the practicality of the design, asking, "...but what if she has to use a public restroom?!" A third observer joked, "Inflation hit fashion it's too expensive to make a full shoe."
On-Screen Footwear History and Tarantino Debate
Qualley is no stranger to public attention surrounding her feet. Her feet were featured prominently during a memorable scene in director Quentin Tarantino's 2019 movie Once Upon a Time... in Hollywood, in which her character, Pussycat, props up her dirty feet inside a vehicle after being picked up by stuntman Cliff Booth, played by Brad Pitt.
While the scene was well received by audiences, Qualley initially resisted showing her feet on camera due to her previous career as a dancer. "I genuinely was like, 'Quentin, this is a bad idea. I don't have good feet,'" Qualley told IndieWire in 2019. "I was in pointe shoes for far too long to have toes that can be shown to the world."
The actress recalled engaging in an extended discussion on set with Tarantino and Pitt before agreeing to film the shot. "We had a big debate about it, me, Quentin and Brad, with them trying to be like, 'You're fine,' and me being like, 'No, guys, really, look, these are not good,'" Qualley said. "'I know that I undermine myself pretty regularly, but I'm genuinely telling you these are not good feet, look at these. I know I'm self-deprecating, but I'm not being in this particular instance.'"
Qualley ultimately agreed to shoot the scene and later admitted that the experience shifted her perspective. "I used to actually be pretty mortified with my feet," she said. "Maybe I can finally just give up that now."
Red Carpet Statement Footwear History
Qualley's bare heels join a long history of high-profile fashion choices where footwear became the centerpiece of an outfit on major red carpets. Over the years, numerous Hollywood figures and celebrities have made headlines with distinct shoe choices from leading designers.
Notable red carpet shoe moments include Reese Witherspoon, Ashley Madekwe, Sophia Bush, and Blake Lively appearing in Christian Louboutin heels, while Chrissy Teigen, January Jones, and Sarah Hyland selected designs from Jimmy Choo. Other prominent footwear looks include Kerry Washington and Ashley Greene in Paul Andrew, Maria Sharapova and Diane Kruger in Nicholas Kirkwood, and Nina Dobrev and Jamie Chung wearing Sophia Webster.
Additional eye-catching choices on past red carpets include Maisie Williams wearing Topshop, Elizabeth Banks in Stuart Weitzman, Kiernan Shipka wearing Valentino, Lily James in iridescent pompon-adorned heels, Priyanka Chopra wearing Giuseppe Zanotti, Zosia Mamet in ombré teal heels, Sandra Bullock in custom Rupert Sanderson, Brittany Snow in monochrome pumps, Garcelle Beauvais wearing Aquazzura, Jessica Alba in Casadei, Rashida Jones wearing Proenza Schouler, Victoria Beckham in Manolo Blahnik, Lady Gaga wearing Pierre Hardy, Taylor Swift wearing Pedro García, Padma Lakshmi in Christian Louboutin, Darby Stanchfield wearing Marskinryyppy by Nicole Brundage, and Nikki Reed wearing Malone Souliers.
