#90s chanel runway series

They allowed women to take up space, and gave them freedom of movement.' 'The shoes were tough and practical, but also made a big statement. 'That said, they made them quite decorative, using ribbons for laces, for instance, and bright-coloured leathers like purple, pink and green,' Pollen continues. The UK shoemakers, who included all-women's collectives like Green Shoes, Orchid Shoes and Made to Last, frequently advertised in feminist magazine Spare Rib, billing sensible shoes as a form of resistance. 'And at the same time, it subverts more traditional ideals of beauty in preference for novel, unconventional aesthetics.' So, what does our newfound interest in clompy, cartoonesque footwear signify? 'In one sense, it communicates a desire for non-conformity and personal expression, which aligns with contemporary values of individuality and self-confidence,' Dr Carolyn Mair, a cognitive psychologist and fashion business consultant, and the author of The Psychology of Fashion, tells BBC Culture. In August, like Balenciaga before them, MSCHF paired up with Crocs to present the 'big yellow boots'– a sunflower-yellow take on the BRB, bearing Crocs' trademark holes and heel strap – while Marni is set to release its 'big foot 2.0' sneakers this week at Paris fashion week, a more exaggerated, decidedly comic-book take on the Italian house's 2018 platform trainer.

And, across mens' and womenswear alike, the craze appears to show no sign of slowing down. Meanwhile, the launch of the spring/summer 2023 collections provided a more refined take on the cartoon-channelling shoe, from Prada's proudly puffy nappa loafers to Loewe's comic lacquered foam pumps (seemingly inspired by Minnie Mouse's oversized, slip-on high heels) to Proenza Schouler's pillowy Arc platform mules.

#90s chanel runway series

Seeming to have leapt straight from the pages of the 1990s Japanese manga series Astro Boy, the giant, pillarbox-red boots, rendered in TPU and EVA foam, are simultaneously nostalgic, futuristic, and utterly absurd as MSCHF declared in its press release, 'If you kick someone in these boots, they go boing!' Yet, despite their silliness and inadvertent suction issues – see the viral TikTok video in which one wearer gets stuck in their BRBs – the unisex boots were soon being sported by everyone from Doja Cat and Lil Nas X to Iggy Azalea and Janelle Monáe. Pre-empted by the likes of Bottega Veneta’s BV 'puddle boot' (a chunky-soled rubber rain boot with a bulbous toe that debuted in 2020), and Kerwin Frost's super-stuffed Adidas Superstars (a 2021 collaboration that saw the classic Superstar sneaker padded out to appear clownishly large), the maximalist look was galvanised in February of this year when the US label and art collective MSCHF released its attention-grabbing 'big red boot'. But it has also seen the rise of a new, more surprising one: the cartoonishly oversized shoe.

From cowboy boots and kitten heels to Mary Janes and court shoes, 2023 has heralded the return of many established shoes to the runway.