Are designer flip-flops the next big shoe trend for spring 2024? They are if you ask Chanel.
On Tuesday, Chanel helped close out the final day of Paris Fashion Week with the unexpected footwear choice not often associated with luxury fashion.
Gigi Hadid and Mica Argañaraz were among the models stomping the runway today sporting the thong-style sandal, which appeared in a black colorway with crystal “CC” logo embellishment on the strap.
While the laid-back shoe choice may surprise at first glance, Chanel’s new flip-flops play into the collection’s overall theme. According to show notes, the collection was inspired by the “artistic spirit” of the villa Noailles in the south of France, evoking the idea of mixing “nonchalance” and “elegance.”
This feeling of casual mixed with luxury comes through on Hadid’s look, which sees the flip-flops paired with a matching oversized pant and elongated jacket covered in black sequins that moved with ease. The same could be said for Argañaraz, who wore the sandals with a pair of short shorts and an almost sailor-inspired multi-striped top seemingly ready for a day along the coast.
The rest of Virginie Viard’s spring/summer 2024 ready-to-wear collection does play into the inspiration – from graphic tweeds and floral embroideries highlighted through a playful mix of colors and textures, to other casual items like denim and swimwear hinting at the ease of a summer holiday.
Other Chanel footwear staples, like its iconic ballet flats, were also seen throughout the collection along with Mary Jane’s and thigh-high boots.
The French fashion house’s latest shoe debut comes as the footwear direction for spring 2024 has had a distinct point of view – one that has little to no heel involved. The slingback is queen, with exaggerated points and kitten heel heights dominating. And just like New York Fashion Week and Milan Fashion Week, the ballet flat trend has taken over for the season.
Over the past few years, the ballet flat has popped up here and there in collections, both as a suggestion for a house shoe and a rebuke of the chunky soled loafer and boot that’s dominated footwear trends for so long.
This summer, movement towards the shoe began to build. A mesh flat from The Row that went all the way back to its spring ’20 collections (one of the lost seasons) came back on the scene. It was joined by a fishnet ballet flat from Alaïa that has become one of the year’s biggest It shoes. Other brands followed, and the mesh ballet flat became something of the summer’s sleeper shoe trend.
And it’s not all just marketing, the trend is also translating to sales. According to Circana’s Retail Tracking Service, sales for ballerina flats are up 14 percent year-over-year in the first half of 2023.
So for now, let’s wait and see if designer flip-flops will be the next casual fashion shoe to get a bump in sales next year.
