Another pair after Chanel! Could Jeffrey Campbell’s “floor-touching heels” become a new trend?
Would you dare to challenge yourself by walking down the street in sole-less shoes?
Summary
- The “soleless” sandals from Chanel’s early spring resort show sparked heated discussion online for their barefoot-like visual effect.
- Jeffrey Campbell has also just released a series of “half-sole” heels that only keep the back part of the footbed and the heel.
- With thin straps and ribbons wrapping around the ankle, these shoes leave the soles almost directly touching the ground, blurring the line between wearing shoes and going barefoot.
- From Chanel to Jeffrey Campbell, similar designs are appearing one after another, drawing attention to whether these “no-sole shoes” will become the next big footwear trend.
Fashion’s imagination for shoes seems to have reached a new level. Chanel’s recent Cruise show sparked debate over a pair of sandals with “missing soles”: at first glance, only thin straps appeared to wrap around the ankles and insteps, while the balls of the feet were almost directly on the ground. From a distance, the models even looked as if they were walking the runway barefoot. The unexpected design was quickly dubbed “the Emperor’s new shoes” by online commenters, prompting the question: Does this count as wearing shoes, or going barefoot?
The sole-less design spreading from the Chanel runway
Images from / getty
What seemed like a conceptual shoe designed to create runway buzz may have been the start of a quiet trend: the “disappearing sole.” Jeffrey Campbell recently released a series of similar heels, dramatically reducing the traditional sole and retaining only the structure beneath the heel and the heel itself, leaving the forefoot exposed. With ribbons or thin straps wrapped around the ankles, they can make you wonder at first glance whether half the shoe was left unfinished.
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Rather than making the sole completely invisible, Jeffrey Campbell concentrates the shoe’s visual presence around the ankle and heel, with variations including thin black straps, red ribbons, and wedge heels. Without the front half of the sole, there is almost no distance between the foot and the ground, creating an unusual look somewhere between “barefoot” and “wearing shoes” and making the familiar high-heel silhouette suddenly feel unfamiliar.
Images from ig / @jeffreycampbell
Similar silhouettes have appeared in succession, from the Chanel runway to Jeffrey Campbell, drawing attention to designs that challenge traditional shoe construction. When the sole is no longer an indispensable part of a shoe, designers create a new visual focal point by taking it away. It’s still hard to say whether the half sole will become the next trend, yet simply getting people to seriously debate “Does this even count as a shoe?” has already made it a conversation starter. Would you give it a try?
Join Popbee Circle and subscribe to the Popbee newsletter for the latest updates and early access to exclusive perks and discounts! Beyond this article, here are a few recent stories worth checking out:
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