The 32 Most Out-There Shoes to Ever Grace the Red Carpet

Red carpet fashion is often synonymous with glamorous heels, but the celebrities on this list went against the grain. From sneakers and mismatched shoes to animal-inspired slippers paired with ballgowns, these bold footwear choices broke the rules and became defining style moments. Here are 32 of the most unconventional, controversial, and memorable red-carpet shoe moments.

Lily Allen’s Red Carpet Sneaker

In 2008, Lily Allen’s casual yet feminine red carpet style inspired teenagers everywhere. It’s no surprise that even for the 2008 Glamour Women of the Year Awards she swapped her heels for sneakers, turning the red carpet on its head. The combination of casual comfort and high-fashion glamour made a statement about embracing individuality, created looks for an entire generation of mood boards, and brought Alice in Wonderland vibes to streetwear.

Helena Bonham Carter’s Mismatched Golden Globe Shoes

Helena Bonham Carter embraced her eccentricity at the 2008 Golden Globes with her green and red mismatched shoes. As a nominee for the Globe for Best Actress in a Motion Picture, Comedy or Musical for her role as Mrs. Lovett in Sweeney Todd, her offbeat choice was a true reflection of her signature off-beat, quirky style. While she may not have taken home the prize, she still showed the world that rules were meant to be broken, even on one of the most glamorous nights in Hollywood.

Nicki Minaj’s Toy Store Boots

We’re not quite sure how to describe these boots, let alone how Nicki Minaj is walking in them. Nicki Minaj somehow wore an entire FAO Schwartz and a Build-A Bear on her feet at the 2011 MTV VMAs, a playful, larger-than-life addition to her already notoriously bold look. With bright colors and oversized proportions, these boots were a nod to fun, fantasy, and breaking the red carpet mold. Nicki proved that fashion could be both bold and playful—and deeply, deeply polarizing.

Solange Knowles’s Peek-a-Boots

At the Manus x Machina Costume Institute Met Gala in 2016, Solange Knowles showed up in futuristic “peek-a-boots” that were as tech-inspired as they were daring. The bright yellow boots appear to be attached to her pants and hooked under her shoe, but as one cohesive garment. A perfect blend of high-fashion innovation and avant-garde design, these boots captured the spirit of the night and Solange’s constant commitment to pushing fashion boundaries.

Hailee Steinfeld’s Oscar Kicks

At her very first Vanity Fair Oscars party, Hailee Steinfeld paired her flowy, rose-colored tea-length ballgown with red sneakers. While a 14-year-old wearing sneakers on a red carpet isn’t “controversial”, it bucks trend while still remaining age-appropriate. The youthful energy of her footwear offered a refreshing break from traditional red carpet expectations—especially for the stress of being a first-time nominee. Who says Oscars afterparties can’t be comfy?

Selena Gomez’s Square Peg / Round Hole Shoes

Selena Gomez’s shoes at the 2017 InStyle Awards featured an unexpected design with a mix of one heel with a round ball, and one heel with a square block heel. The unconventional sandal was designed by Jacquemus, which called it the “Samba” sandal. The innovative and architectural style paired perfectly with her low-key, pared-down little black dress. We love a little something extra when it comes to something simple, and these sandals keep the eye entertained.

Tilda Swinton’s Bear Claws

Pairing bear claw shoes with a classic oversized suit is so Tilda Swinton, it should be put in the dictionary. Rocking these bear claw-inspired loafers at the 2024 Charles Jeffrey Loverboy show, the platform loafer is enhanced with four silver prongs intended to look like a bear’s claw on each shoe. The cool, oversized design is everything we love about Swinton’s fashion persona—fearless, cool, and would fit right in on a runway and in a forest.

Dua Lipa’s Boots Were, In Fact, Made for Walking

Dua Lipa made a statement at the 2017 ASCAP Awards in her bold, thigh-grazing boots. Paired with a one-shoulder gown, these Vetements x Manolo Blahnik Waist-High Satin Boots from their 2017 collaboration give Catwoman or any variation of female superhero, but in a pageant queen’s body. Is wearing thigh-high boots really that practical? We wouldn’t say so. But has Dua Lipa ever been known for being practical, especially on the red carpet? We think not, and we know you agree.

Lady Gaga Changes Red Carpet Shoes Forever

Lady Gaga’s iconic Armadillo heels at the 2010 MTV VMAs were pure fashion art. Designed by Alexander McQueen for his final collection, Plato’s Atlantis, these towering shoes—each pair is approximately 12 inches from the top to the sole, with a 9-inch stiletto heel—bent reality, with their sharp angles and alien-like shape. Gaga wore these shoes near-constantly during the Fame Monster stage of her career, including in the music video for “Bad Romance.” It wasn’t just a shoe; it was a declaration of Gaga’s transformative power in the fashion world, and an homage to her friendship with McQueen.

Saoirse Ronan’s Halfsie Shoe

Saoirse Ronan’s half-exposed shoes are rather perplexing, and certainly a daring move that challenges typical red carpet expectations. With their unusual design, the shoes are like “Little Miss Piggy Went To Market,” but instead of the market, it’s a red carpet. This feels like the perfect shoe for the indecisive; if you don’t want to expose all of your toes, what if only your big toe were on display? It surely could save you money on a pedicure. The actress proves she can make anything work, even footwear that defies convention.

Gwyneth Paltrow’s Red Carpet Oopsie

Stars: They’re Just Like Us! If you’ve ever forgotten to tear off a tag to a shirt before leaving the house or discovered you left the sizing sticker on your new pants, you’re not alone. Gwyneth Paltrow’s shoe faux-pas at the Tracy Anderson studio opening became an instant meme when she was spotted with a price tag still attached to her designer shoes. Whether intentional or not, the detail added a humorous twist to an otherwise polished look—highlighting the pressure of perfection in celebrity fashion.

Fun fact: The Cannes Film Festival has a strict dress code for red carpets, including requiring women to wear high heels. A year after a controversy involving women being turned away for wearing heels, Julia Roberts, at her first-ever Cannes red carpet, rebelled against the policy by walking the Money Monster red carpet—barefoot. The move felt liberating, authentic, and downright empowering, a rebellion against old, outdated norms that shouldn’t be strictly abided by any more.

Angelina Jolie’s Horned Heels

Angelina Jolie’s custom Christian Louboutin heels, designed to mimic Maleficent’s horns, were a bold nod to her iconic character. These shoes weren’t just footwear; Jolie worked with Louboutin to design these wedges, called the Malangeli wedges, with a sculpted heel that mesmerizingly curls away from the sole to mimic a wisp of smoke. The shoes were so popular, Louboutin sold them as a limited-edition, with profits from the sale of the Malangeli heels going to SOS Children’s Villages, an NGO that provides homes for orphaned and abandoned children, a charity of which Jolie has been a long supporter.

Lady Gaga’s Meat Boots

Where were you the first time you ever heard “Lady Gaga Meat Dress,” and why do you remember it like it was yesterday? Lady Gaga’s dress, hat, boots, and purse made of raw meat at the 2010 MTV VMAs was a fashion moment like no other. The look’s shock value—her third of a career breakthrough evening—combined with the ensuing controversy and discourse, made it one of the most iconic anti-fashion statements in history. Gaga turned red carpet fashion into art and a form of public protest, and the world watched in awe, or disgust, depending on who you ask.

Chloë Sevigny’s Polarizing Shoe

Chloë Sevigny’s love for Maison Margiela’s Tabi boots has long been a staple of her anti-fashion approach. Per the brand, “The Tabi split-toe is inspired by the traditional 15th-century Japanese sock bearing the same name—launched for the Maison’s debut collection in 1989.” Some people believe they look like horse hooves, some people love them, and Sevigny is one of the latter people, having been spotted in the boots time and time again. Whether on the runway or the red carpet, these unconventional shoes are a testament to her boundary-pushing fashion sensibility.

Kim Kardashian’s Barely There Shoe

Kim Kardashian’s no-heel shoes at the 2024 Met Gala were almost invisible—you’ll have to get really close to see them. In her controversial sweater-and-corset silver Maison Margiela gown, the shoe choice was as practical as it was a classic Kardashian fashion challenge. “This is my shoe,” Kardashian explained to Vogue in a Met Gala prep video, holding up a shoe that had no heel and only a very tall clear platform. “It’s clever because if I had a shoe with a heel, the heel gets stuck in the metal skirt. And so that was our issue of walking.” She apparently learned really, really fast that… there’s no leaning back in these shoes.

Tessa Thompson’s ‘Ugly’ Heels

Don’t take it out on us: Thom Browne fans originally dubbed this the “ugly shoe”. While your mileage may vary on your opinion of the shoe’s attractiveness, these loafer-platform-stiletto brogue heels are so classic Thom Browne, we’re not shocked it took someone as stylish as Tessa Thompson to make them look wearable on the red carpet. 2017 was the year of the “Ugly Shoe” rise in fashion, and while we’ll let you make your own opinion on this one, you can’t say Thompson isn’t pulling them off.

Lizzo’s Red Carpet Sneakers

Lizzo made an impact at the 2019 MTV Movie & TV Awards by pairing white sneakers adorned with gold chains with her glamorous, bright green feathered red carpet look. Her decision to pair the athletic footwear with high-fashion attire defied convention, showing that you can still look like a star without the pain of heels—especially since later on that night, she would steal the show with her Sister Act 2-inspired performance of her hit track, “Juice.”

Kristen Stewart’s Red Carpet Rebellion

Dressed in silver, Kristen Stewart should have won the Palme D’or for her decision to remove her heels at the 2018 Cannes Film Festival. The move was a gesture of rebellion against the strict rules of the Cannes red carpet—notably, that women are required to wear heels. Stewart has spoken about the footwear double standard at Cannes to The Hollywood Reporter: “There’s definitely a distinct dress code… People get very upset at you if you don’t wear heels or whatever,” she said in 2017, adding that “if you’re not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, then you can’t ask me either.” A powerful statement of autonomy.

Rowan Blanchard’s Unconventional Wedge

Rowan Blanchard embraced eccentric footwear at the premiere of Euphoria in 2019 with her unconventional, wavy wedge shoes. The exaggerated, abstract heel, while not being too too high, as well as the unique canary yellow color, made for a standout look that wasn’t afraid to challenge red carpet norms. Rowan proved that wedges can be both quirky and chic, but still really, really wearable. This is how unique fashion can be solely in the details.

Cara Delevingne’s Rainbow Bound Heels

Rainbow Brite went into retirement after seeing Cara Delevingne at the 2019 Met Gala. Her head-to-toe Camp-inspired rainbow runway features a full-body suit designed by Dior Haute Couture and sky-high rainbow Swarovski-encrusted platform sandals (and matching cane.) We’ve heard it’s gauche to match your shoes to your purse, but does that count when you’re matching your shoes to your walking accessory…and do rules even really matter when you’re at the Met Gala?

Marion Cotillard’s Homage Heels

At first glance, this outfit may seem simple and straightforward. But this is Marion Cotillard, people—she’s never been straightforward when it comes to fashion, ever. If you look at the heels of her pointy, silver Dior shoes, they feature a unique sculptural design that elevate her look into a statement piece of visual storytelling—a heel in the shape of a female statue thought to be a fertility goddess, designed by former Dior creative director John Galliano.

Daphne Guinness’s No-Heel Heels

Daphne Guinness took the concept of footwear to new heights—or rather, no heights at all—with her no-heel heels. The avant-garde design turned traditional footwear upside down, questioning the very idea of what constitutes a shoe. Guinness has been wearing variations of the “no-heel” heel since 2015, being spotted rocking the heel-free sky-high platform ankle “boots” on both red carpets and just running around and about in the streets of New York. And yes, she’s fallen in them. She told Fashionista in 2015, “I don’t mind falling down, to be honest. What is the taboo around falling down? You’re supposed to feel embarrassed. But you know, gravity, man.”

Margot Robbie’s Cowbooties

Margot Robbie brought some Western flair to the red carpet with her stylish cowboy booties. “Cowbooties,” perhaps? Paired with a more formal ensemble, these boots were a playful twist on traditional red carpet footwear, and were very polarizing—some believe cowboy boots would be perfectly suited for this outfit on their own, and others believed the shoes did not suit the outfit whatsoever. Robbie rarely misses on the red carpet, but these wouldn’t make it to any rodeo.

Emma Thompson’s Kicks

One thing we’re not going to do is tell Emma Thompson what to do. She is a dame, she gave us one of the most heartbreaking scenes in Christmas movie history, she can wear whatever she wants on a red carpet. The choice of sneakers and a suit on a red carpet is a cheeky nod to the importance of comfort in fashion, proving you don’t have to suffer for style. Plus, the lilac suit commands a cool sneaker over anything else—it suits her perfectly.

Katy Perry’s Sky-Grazing High Heels

Katy Perry‘s sky-high heels at the 2024 Billboard Women In Music Awards were as dramatic as they were jaw-dropping. Wearing vintage Elevated Court shoes from Vivienne Westwood’s fall 1993 collection, the exaggerated platforms made her one of the tallest stars in the room, adding an additional 12 inches to Perry’s 5’8 frame. How daring of a move was it to wear these shoes? Famously, Naomi Campbell fell on the runway wearing these 12-inch platforms, and made them so notorious other brands believed it was faked and offered to pay her to stumble on their runways, too.

Who needs a pedicure when you can have a whole foot encased in gold? Maya Rudolph, apparently, when she rocked the black Schiaparelli Trompe-L’Oeil heels on the red carpet for Loot‘s second season. The shoes feature an exposed gold toe meant to be a little absurd and avant-garde, not dissimilar to Rudolph’s sense of humor. Here, Rudolph made an unforgettable red carpet statement, blending style with surprise. This isn’t the shoe’s first red carpet appearance, either: Doja Cat also wore the heels to attend the 2022 Billboard Music Awards.

Sarah Jessica Parker’s Lion Paw Heels

Sarah Jessica Parker’s lion paw pumps at a premiere for I Don’t Know How She Does It were an immediate showstopper. The Christian Louboutin Alex Lion Paw Pumps captured the imagination of fashion lovers everywhere, including Parker and Blake Lively, who was also spotted wearing the freaky lion paw pumps. Parker always embraces the wild, animalistic side of fashion, bringing drama and elegance to the red carpet—but this may be little too The Lion King for even us.

Rihanna’s Extreme Gladiator Heels

The queen of bringing avant-garde to the masses, Rihanna’s extreme gladiator heels from the 2017 Met Gala only enhanced her Comme des Garçons piece. Bad Gal RiRi wore a pair of custom red DSquared2 thigh-high lace-up stilettos—called “RiRi Sandal” after her—with crystal embellishments on the carpet. With thick ropes twisted into spiraling straps, her heels were as inventive as they were eye-catching. Rihanna always knows how to make an entrance, and these shoes were no exception.

Sarah Paulson’s Unmatched Gems

Sarah Paulson’s gem-encrusted asymmetrical heels at the premiere of Glass were a perfect blend of luxury and quirk. She paired red, oversized leather dress with a pair of strappy red heels with heels that possibly could appear to be, at face, two different shoes. One shoe has a red strap across her toes, the other’s ankle strap adorned with crystals. But this is a pair designed intentionally to be mismatched — previous similar styles have been seen on the red carpet worn by the likes of Nicole Kidman and Naomie Harris.

Billie Eilish’s Sneaker Fits

Billie Eilish wasn’t the first artist to wear sneakers on the Grammy red carpet, but in 2020, she served a unique and formula-breaking take. Ditching the traditional heels for a pair of Gucci Flashtrek sneakers with black and green mesh suede and leather paneled uppers, she completed a head-to-toe lime green Gucci-and-crystal- emblazoned suit (that also matched her hair). Billie’s look broke away from the formal fashion norms. Her style is a celebration of comfort and confidence, proving that being true to yourself is always in vogue.

Jorja Smith’s Matching ‘Fit + Feet

Jorja Smith showed up to the 2020 BRIT Awards polka-dot pattered, warm-toned jumpsuit designed to resemble a heat map—and it was completed with matching slouchy boots. The signature Jean Paul Gaultier-patterned outfit gives pure superhero, and was very polarizing amongst her fans. Aware of the memefication of the look, Smith asked her Instagram followers what superpower the outfit looks like she has. One of the best responses: “Making grown men cry.”