Chanel’s barefoot-strap shoe design at Resort 2027 sparks debate over luxury fashion norms

Recently, several newly released shoe designs have sparked controversy, highlighting the gap between avant-garde fashion thinking and consumer taste. At Chanel’s Resort 2027 show in Biarritz, creative director Matthieu Blazy unveiled a striking new concept: “no shoes.” Models walked in sandals with slender heel straps tied around the ankle, fully exposing the sole. The unfamiliar look quickly became a social-media phenomenon.

Controversy and rapid reaction in China

Reactions were especially swift in China, which Chanel describes as its most important market. Criticism appeared soon after the show, and related discussion spread across major platforms. Hashtags such as “Chanel barefoot-strap shoes without a heel” and “Chanel’s response to barefoot-strap shoes” trended on Weibo within hours.

Leading Chinese media outlets, including Sina Finance, 163.com and Zhongxin Jingwei, published analyses shortly after the show. One Weibo user, Peach’sAmazingRun, wrote: “When you wear these shoes, once you step outside, you might step on saliva.”

On Xiaohongshu (RedNote), the hashtag #barefootshoes had accumulated 59.6 million views to date, according to the article.

Fashion’s “hard to understand” designs—and how they become iconic

Although social media often labeled the Chanel sandals as “quirky,” the luxury fashion industry has a long history of runway footwear that challenges practicality. The article points to Chanel’s own “nearly non-existent” minimalist shoe as part of a broader tradition of concept-led runway designs.

Examples cited include:

• Alexander McQueen’s Armadillo heel, known for its oversized, gravity-defying appearance and difficulty to wear.
• The Crocs x Balenciaga collaboration in Spring 2018, where models wore multi-colored Crocs on a platform as high as 10 inches, decorated with Jibbitz charms such as flowers, stars, peace symbols, or the Balenciaga logo; the collaboration reportedly sold out quickly.
• Fluffy fur slides and Gucci’s horse-bit loafers, which also drew controversy before becoming iconic.
• Loewe under creative director Jonathan Anderson, which introduced high heels wrapped in uninflated bubble clusters described as playful and deliberately “unrealistic.”
• Schiaparelli’s surreal approach, including carved-heel platforms shaped like feet, turning anatomy into a decorative element.

Cause and development: an “anti-shoe” direction

The article frames Blazy’s design as reflecting a wider shift toward the “anti-shoe” trend. In recent fashion seasons, footwear has increasingly become lighter, more minimal, and more concept-driven. Chanel’s approach pushes that logic further by stripping the shoe down to its most symbolic element.

By exposing the entire foot, the design draws attention to the body’s structure—from the arch to the toes—and to the act of balancing. The article describes the experience as personal, slightly surreal, and provocative.

Impact: made to spark debate—and to be seen

The article argues that these designs are created to go viral, generate debate, and function as images as compelling as products. In that sense, it says the designs have succeeded: even if they are viewed as irrational or poetic—or as a quiet statement about freedom—the reaction is immediate and hard to ignore.