A brief history of celebrities going barefoot on the red carpet
Margaret Qualley's soleless Chanel sandals at the London premiere of "The Dog Stars" sparked fresh debate, but she's far from alone. The brief history of celebrities going barefoot on the red carpet stretches back to Cameron Diaz in 2003 and includes Cannes protests, Grammys fashion, and Met Gala statements—proof that free feet are a recurring Hollywood trend.
On Thursday, Qualley stepped out at the London premiere of "The Dog Stars" wearing Chanel's controversial "barefoot sandals"—half-shoes that cover only the heel while leaving toes and the balls of the feet exposed. The soleless style debuted in creative director Matthieu Blazy's resort 2027 collection in April and quickly ignited a social media firestorm. Instagram commenters labeled the scandalous sandals "atrocious," "unsanitary," and "nasty," among other things.
Key Takeaways
- Margaret Qualley's Chanel barefoot sandals at "The Dog Stars" premiere are the latest headline-grabbing shoe moment on the red carpet.
- Celebrities have gone barefoot at premieres and galas since at least 2003, often for comfort, protest, or deliberate fashion statements.
- Cannes dress-code protests by Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart helped change festival rules to permit elegant flats and sandals.
- Recent barefoot appearances include Kesha at the 2026 Grammys and Doechii at the 2026 Met Gala.
Why did Margaret Qualley go barefoot at the premiere?
Qualley paired the baffling half-shoes with a black embellished gown at the step-and-repeat, effectively freeing her feet while still wearing Chanel's impractical design. Covering only the wearer's heels, the sandals leave toes perilously exposed to the elements—a look that critics found preposterously impractical even before it left the runway.
The moment marks the first major off-runway appearance of Blazy's resort 2027 footwear, and the jokes flew just as fast as they did when the collection debuted. For Qualley, the choice turned a runway curiosity into a full-blown red-carpet conversation.
Who else has walked the red carpet without shoes?
The trend predates Qualley by more than two decades. In 2003, Cameron Diaz shrugged off a broken stiletto moments before the premiere of "Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle" and posed for photos sans shoes. Two years later, Zooey Deschanel cast aside her strappy sandals partway through the London premiere of "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy."
Actor Thomas Jane has famously preferred going shoeless whenever possible. "I love the sensation of feeling my body connected with my environment whereas with shoes on, your feet are just imprisoned all day," he told the Philippine Daily Inquirer in 2016.
At the 2016 Cannes Film Festival, Julia Roberts whipped off her platforms and ascended the fest's steps without footwear, thumbing her nose at the event's polarizing ban on flats. Two years later, Kristen Stewart followed in Roberts' bare footsteps by defiantly removing her pumps mid-premiere at Cannes. The film festival later updated its dress code to permit "elegant shoes and sandals, with or without heels"—a change many credited to those sartorial protests.
Emma Thompson showed off her pedicure while accepting a CineMerit Award at the Munich Film Festival in 2018, four years after presenting at the Golden Globes with her Louboutins in one hand and a martini in the other.
What does going barefoot mean for celebrities today?
Recent appearances suggest barefoot red-carpet moments are as much about personal expression as practicality. Kesha forwent footwear at the 2026 Grammys, letting her angelic feathered Atelier Biser gown do all the talking. At the same year's Met Gala, rapper Doechii arrived in a goddess-worthy Marc Jacobs look styled without shoes to show off jeweled anklets and intricate henna artwork.
"It's very comfortable, but also very vulnerable," Doechii told press at the event. "I feel like bare feet, it signifies a groundedness. I'm not scared of the floor!"
From broken heels to dress-code defiance to runway-inspired half-shoes, the brief history of celebrities going barefoot reveals a pattern: when the carpet calls for drama, some stars simply let their piggies hang out. For more on Hollywood style moments, visit our Celebrity Breaking News hub. Reporting on the full timeline was first compiled by Page Six.