Margaret Qualley Debuted Chanel’s Barefoot Sandals in London

Margaret Qualley just gave Chanel’s most divisive shoe its real-world debut. The barefoot sandals finally left the runway.

Margaret Qualley wore Matthieu Blazy’s already-divisive Chanel Resort 2027 soleless “barefoot” sandals to The Dog Stars London premiere on August 20. The moment marks the shoe’s first major celebrity outing since it went viral back in April.

This debut matters because the sandals had been purely theoretical until now. Furthermore, the reaction proves people aren’t just looking at the shoe — they’re actively debating whether it even counts as one.

What Are Chanel’s Barefoot Sandals?

Chanel debuted the sole-less sandals on its Cruise 2027 runway in April, and the internet immediately divided over them. The design consists of little more than a heel cap with two thin, bow-tied straps wrapping around the ankle. According to Marie Claire, the shoes feature Chanel-branded heel caps and nothing more, leaving the toes and balls of the feet fully exposed.

The sandals were never made available for purchase on Chanel’s website. That exclusivity meant only those with direct access to the brand could actually wear them, which made their eventual red carpet debut feel inevitable to industry watchers.

Why Did Margaret Qualley Wear Them to The Dog Stars Premiere?

Qualley is a longtime Chanel ambassador who first walked the brand’s runway in 2011. Her stylist, Danielle Goldberg, paired the sandals with a black Chanel dress covered in cascading paillettes for the London premiere. Per W Magazine, the shoes also served as a cheeky nod to the film itself, which follows survivors of a pandemic as they cross a post-apocalyptic landscape — not exactly a barefoot-friendly journey.

Qualley completed the look with a freshly painted black pedicure, treating her exposed toes as an intentional styling choice rather than an afterthought. The Dog Stars, also starring Jacob Elordi, opens in theaters August 28, giving the premiere extra visibility heading into the film’s release.

Is the Barefoot Shoe Trend Going Mainstream?

Social reaction has moved quickly from confusion to genuine debate. One Reddit discussion around the look has already gathered roughly 4,000 upvotes, with commenters split between fascination and disbelief. Fans on Instagram raised practical concerns too, with one writing, “but what if she has to use a public restroom?!”

That mix of shock and curiosity is exactly the kind of second-wave reaction that turns a runway curiosity into a genuine cultural moment. Whether other celebrities follow Qualley’s lead remains to be seen, but her willingness to wear the sandals on a rainy London pavement has already made the shoe impossible to ignore. Runway will track whether more stars pick up the trend in the coming weeks. For more of this year’s biggest red carpet debates, visit Runway Magazine’s red carpet and events coverage, and for more on how divisive trends move from runway to reality, see Runway’s sheer dress trend coverage.