A fashion history of the most fantastical high heels to hit the runway
From the toadstool-ettos at Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel couture debut to Jonathan Anderson’s Loewe egg heels and towering Mugler platforms, fashion has a long, proud history of fantasy-fuelled footwear
Haute couture may typically be revered as fashion’s most rarified arena, with this season as no exception. Take a closer peek at the details, though, and things start to get a bit trippy, especially when it comes to the footwear. No, your eyes aren’t fooling you; you aren’t high, fashion’s most recent couture runways have had some wild and wacky heels walking all over them, from Schiaparelli’s peacock-point pumps to the earthy toadstool-ettos that grounded Matthieu Blazy’s ethereally light Chanel couture debut.
Of course, high heels plucked straight from fantasy lands are hardly anything new in fashion, where trompe l’oeil is basically tradition. Nicolas Ghesquière’s spring/summer 2007 Balenciaga Lego heels, Alexander McQueen’s spring/summer 2010 Armadillo platforms, Y/Project’s Cinderella slippers and, of course, Chanel’s very own history of mind-boggling shoe moments, as chronicled by Instagram’s favourite shoe archivist @larslala.
Indeed, footwear has always been native territory for freaky ideas. Here, we look back on some of the most fantastical high heels in fashion history.
Michel Arnaud1/18Thierry Mugler autumn/winter 1984 goat hoof wedges
The late, great Thierry Mugler raised the benchmark when it comes to fantastical fashion, with the footwear he created being no exception. In the mid ’80s, at a blockbuster show staged at an arena in Paris, he debuted his game-changing “goat hoof”, a surreal platform boot with a concave heel, laying the groundwork for a number of the shoes you’ll see below.
Michel Arnaud/Getty Images2/18Jean Paul Gaultier spring/summer 1994 cleat heels
The fashion-sport dialogue may be at a fever pitch, but back in the early ’90s, Jean Paul Gaultier’s cleat heels set the tone for the many sport shoe stilettos that have come since.
3/18Balenciaga autumn/winter 2007 Lego heels
In 2007, Nicolas Ghesquière’s future-forward, playful approach to design was epitomised by these brightly-hued stilettos, informally named after the Danish toy building blocks. Proof that if it can be thought of, it can be built!
4/18Alexander McQueen spring/summer 2010 armadillo boots
One of the most revered wacky high heels in fashion, this convex, talon heel debuted in Plato’s Atlantis, Lee McQueen’s final collection before his tragic passing. A testament to his capacity for thinking beyond the parameters of the human form, they instantly earned a place in the fashion historical canon.
Elena Braghieri/Getty Images5/18Prada spring/summer 2012 flame wedges
Prada always brings the heat. These iconic wedges from the early 2010s are a testament to the brand’s irreverence, and in their heyday, set every major street-style scene ablaze.
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Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images6/18Thom Browne spring/summer 2020 dolphin heels
One of fashion’s great visual narrators, Thom Browne’s footwear has often prioritised fantasy over practicality, as these staggering dolphin heels show. Now, we wouldn’t ask anyone to walk a mile in these shoes, but their fantastical appeal can’t be denied.
Courtesy of Y/Project7/18Y/Project autumn/winter 2021 crystal slipper
Is there any tale more fantastical than Cinderella? In this collection, Glenn Martens brought the story’s iconic glass slipper to life, in collaboration with Brazilian rubber shoe brand Melissa.
Victor VIRGILE/Getty Images8/18Loewe spring/summer 2022 balloon heels
First debuting on Loewe’s spring/summer 2022 runway, Jonathan Anderson’s cracked egg sandals raised the benchmark for surreal, trompe l’oeil footwear at first sight.
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