How ‘ugly shoes’ have become a style statement of our time

From Balenciagas to Birkenstocks, ugly shoes have become the most trendy accessory to have in your closet

“Balenciaga is releasing a new pair of shoes, and I have to assume they are just trolling people at this point,” wrote someone on Twitter, garnering more than 4,000 likes and 500 retweets. Balenciaga’s Paris Sneakers had the internet buzzing for its tattered fabric, dirty soles and a resemblance to Converse. This isn’t the first time the Paris-based luxury brand has created shoes that, in spite of being outrageously unattractive, were very viral. Who can forget those heeled ‘Madames’ mules (in collaboration with Crocs) and those FiveFinger shoes (in collaboration with Vibram) that even found a fan in Rihanna?

Ugly shoes have come a long way from being just orthopedic footwear to now becoming a collector’s item and a conversation piece too. So how did the otherwise lowbrow footwear rise in the ranks to become a fashion girl’s closet staple?

How the ugly shoes won

The word ‘ugly’ may have a negative notion attached to it, but sartorially speaking, it is a tongue-in-cheek response to anything that is unique and not mainstream. When The Lyst Index shared a list of fashion’s hottest products of the first quarter of 2022, chunky footwear like Moon Boots’ Icon snow boots, Balenciaga’s Defender sneakers and UGGs (yes, UGGS) grabbed the top spots on the list. “The basic reason why ugly footwear is becoming popular is because it is different. The safe styles go unnoticed while ugly fashion ensures that the wearer stands out, and I think these days that’s the bread and butter of the influencer world,” says Ruchi Sally, managing director of Melissa shoes in India. The Brazilian brand, which has previously collaborated with designers like Vivienne Westwood and Jason Wu, recently launched a collection of ‘jelly’ sandals and slides, which, a few years ago, we’d only have worn to the beach or during the rains.

The rise of the sneaker culture has also led to the rise of ‘dad shoes’ in the street style circuit with shoes like the Fila Disruptor and Balenciaga Triple S becoming cult favourites. Sangeet Paryani, founder of Superkicks, a multi-brand sneaker store, believes that chunky sneakers and streetwear styles are like a match made in heaven. “Apart from the fact how comfortable dad sneakers are, they work really well with baggy and oversized clothes,” says Paryani. This is demonstrated by Hailey Beiber, Emily Ratajkowski and even Athiya Shetty, whose streetwear looks are often followed and imitated.

Another factor that cemented this trend in fashion was the COVID-19 pandemic. Having barely stepped out of our homes for two years led to a further rise in the popularity of comfortable footwear. At the end of 2021, Crocs revealed their record-breaking revenues of $2.3 billion and a 67 per cent revenue growth rate in terms of sales. It’s no wonder then that designers and brands like Christopher Kane and Balenciaga were lining up to collaborate with this footwear giant that made clogs cool.

While Carrie Bradshaw will never dream of being spotted in slides, we bet the millennial version of her would definitely eye those Birkenstocks, especially if they are getting a blingy upgrade from her favourite footwear designer, Manolo Blahnik. The brands recently released a one-of-a-kind collection that incorporated Blahnik’s glamour with Birkenstock’s practicality. This collaboration came right after Kim Jones ‘Dior-ified’ Birkenstock’s Tokio mules for their menswear collection on the runway in January this year.

Considering how the fashion industry has tapped the ‘ugly footwear’ trend, it safe to say that these shoes, which were once a closeted secret or beachwear alternatives, are probably living their best lives at the moment. But what does this mean for the good ol’ pair of heels?

Is this the decline of heels?

The sales of dress shoes suffered considerably during the pandemic with a 71 per cent drop in the sale of heels in 2020, according to a study by NPD Group. Compared to that, in the same year, the global sneaker market revenue was valued at approximately $70 billion and has increased to $86.72 billion in 2022, according to Statista reports. Those three-inch heels took a backseat in many closets as we prioritised convenience over style during the lockdown. “Besides comfort, it’s the agility of the sneaker that made me switch from being a ‘heel person’ to a ‘sneaker person’ now,” says Baani Sachdev, one half of clothing label EZRA and newly converted sneakerhead, whose sneaker collection now outnumbers her collection of heels.

According to Sally, the decline of heels can also be attributed to the Y2K trend that has possessed the Instagram and TikTok-consuming audience. “One of the true nature of the fashion industry is that it’s cyclical, which is why we see a rapid change in trends that come and go. With Y2K fashion getting all the limelight right now, chunky and ugly sneakers are only going to get more popular,” she says.

Celebrities, too, have ditched heels for sneakers and ‘ugly’ footwear with the likes of Rihanna, Hailey Bieber and Kendall Jenner being spotted wearing Ugg boots and Nike Dunks. Spencer actor Kristen Stewart even swapped her heels for a pair of loafers and socks the second she got off the Oscar red carpet earlier this year.

While 2022 continues to be fuelled by sweatpants and streetwear, will this mean the death of heels? Paryani believes otherwise, and doesn’t see heels dying anytime in the near future. “We’ve seen more and more people incorporate sneakers into their wardrobes now more than ever. However, as prominent as they have become, I believe heels will always remain a closet staple for many and I don't see them going away any time soon,” he concludes.

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