The runways are rethinking the shoe

When did shoes stop being practical? From Chanel to Balenciaga, fashion is rethinking what footwear even means.

At Chanel's Cruise showcase last month, models walked out in sandals featuring a small heel base attached to the back of the foot with delicate ankle straps. The barely-there sandal drew sharp reactions, with many questioning whether this was a bold step forward or a sacrifice of practicality for aesthetics. Practical or not, the trend seems to be catching on, as South African singer-songwriter Tyla also wore a near-soleless heel by Chris Habana in her She Did It Again music video, released in April.

(L-R) Chanel's barefoot sandals and Loewe's balloon pumps

But this isn't an entirely new trend. Luxury brands have experimented with footwear before, though it hasn't drawn such attention. So why are brands experimenting now? Here's what experts decode.

What’s happening

There is a growing wave of footwear design that goes beyond its conventional function. From Maison Margiela's Tabi, with its split-toe silhouette, to Balenciaga's Barefoot Zero, which mimics the feeling of not wearing a shoe at all, brands are increasingly experimenting with form.

Is this even a shoe?

But in prioritising expression over function, these designs also raise a more uncomfortable question - who are they really for: the wearer navigating real space, or the viewer encountering it through a screen?

Explaining the idea behind these shoes, designer Jeetinder Sandhu says, “What we’re seeing is a shift from minimalism as an aesthetic to minimalism as a concept where the shoe is reduced to its most essential elements. These pieces are less about functionality and more about expression. They sit somewhere between footwear and body adornment, almost like jewellery for the feet.”

Balenciaga’s Barefoot Zero pushes the idea of a shoe. (Credits: Instagram)

Designer Neha Kumthekar of Oceedee adds, “These unconventional shoes are usually not designed with traditional longevity as the primary objective. Their purpose is often artistic.”

Can you walk in these shoes?

For celebrity stylist Shraddha Lakhani, these unusual designs are a part of a longer design conversation. She notes, “Will most women wear this? Probably not. But that has never been the point of a runway shoe. Its job is to push the conversation forward to make us question where the boundary between dressed and undressed actually lies.”

“A shoe comes with a purpose - functionality and utility. The moment design begins to challenge conventional function and evoke a reaction, much like fashion art or sculpture, it transcends pure wearability,” says Kumthekar. While runway shoes are often designed to create a dramatic visual moment, everyday footwear has to move with the wearer seamlessly through real life.

The purpose of these designs, then, is not always immediate wearability but long-term influence. As Kumthekar explains, “Often, these designs serve as innovation, influencing future commercial collections in subtler ways.”

Rethinking the shoe

What makes this shift more significant is how quickly it moves from runway to conversation. These designs may never enter everyday wardrobes in their original form, but they still shape what comes next. A thinner sole, a more exposed foot, a stranger silhouette - each version edges closer to reality.

What these designs collectively suggest is not that practicality is obsolete, but that it is no longer the primary measure of success. Lakhani concludes, “Fashion has always asked us to reconsider what we thought we knew. This season, it is asking us to reconsider what a shoe even is.”