Margaret Qualley arrived at "The Dog Stars" premiere wearing Chanel from head to almost bare toe. The 31-year-old actress stepped onto the London red carpet in one of the French fashion house's strangest recent creations, a pair of shoes that barely qualify as shoes.
The unusual Chanel design leaves most of the foot completely exposed. Instead of a normal sole and upper, the footwear uses a small heel piece and thin ankle straps, creating the appearance that Qualley simply walked barefoot onto the carpet.
The bold choice immediately became one of the premiere's biggest fashion stories. Qualley wore the controversial footwear at the Odeon Luxe Leicester Square on August 20, becoming the first major celebrity to bring the runway design to a public red carpet. The so-called ‘barefoot’ shoes had already caused plenty of debate after appearing on the runway, but Qualley's premiere appearance gave the design a much larger audience.
Chanel's $3,000 Shoes Leave Almost Everything Exposed
@espritdnes / Insta / Calling Chanel's creation 'a pair of flats' can feel generous. The unconventional design strips footwear down to a tiny heel cap, narrow straps, and very little else.
The front of the foot remains fully exposed, while the shoe offers no traditional toe box. There is also no conventional sole running underneath the foot, which gives the wearer an unmistakably barefoot appearance.
Chanel's design uses a small block heel at the back. A logo detail identifies the luxury house, while thin straps wrap around the ankle to keep the tiny structure attached. The result looks more like a piece of jewelry for the foot than traditional footwear. Reports have placed the price at roughly £2,200, which works out to around $3,000 depending on currency rates.
The shoes first attracted attention during Chanel's Cruise 2026/27 collection presentation in Biarritz. Creative director Matthieu Blazy sent models down the runway wearing the minimal design, quickly starting a debate about how far luxury fashion can reduce an everyday object.
The “Maid” actress had to walk an actual red carpet while wearing footwear without a normal sole. The actress managed the challenge while making the exposed design look intentional rather than unfinished. The black toenail polish helped sharpen the effect. With almost nothing covering Qualley's feet, the dark pedicure became part of the styling rather than a small detail hidden inside a conventional shoe.
Online reactions quickly split between admiration and disbelief. Some netizens praised the minimal design as chic and daring, while others questioned the logic of paying about $3,000 for footwear that leaves nearly the entire foot uncovered.
Qualley Let the Barefoot Chanel Shoes Take Center Stage
@espritdnes / Insta / The star actress did not surround the unusual footwear with an equally complicated outfit. Stylist Danielle Goldberg kept the rest of the Chanel look sleek, dark and controlled, allowing the exposed feet to grab most of the attention.
The “How to Make a Killing” star wore a black midi dress with a deep V neckline and detailed fringe. The dark fabric created a clean contrast with the bare skin below, making Chanel's tiny heel pieces even harder to miss.
Qualley added Chanel high jewelry to the outfit. The actress also wore an N5 drop ring from the cruise collection, keeping the entire look closely tied to the French fashion house. The beauty choices stayed equally restrained. Natural makeup kept the focus on the clothes and shoes, while the black toenails added just enough edge to match the dress.
The styling made sense for the “Honey Don’t” actress, who has a long relationship with Chanel. The actress has served as a brand ambassador and has repeatedly appeared in Chanel campaigns, runway events and major red carpet looks. That relationship also made Qualley a natural choice to introduce such an unusual product outside the runway. A celebrity wearing a strange design can give shoppers a clearer idea of how the item works in real life.
