Margaret Qualley turned heads at the world premiere of The Dog Stars in London, but it was not just her black Chanel dress getting attention. The actress stepped onto the red carpet in a pair of Chanel soleless sandals that looked almost like she was walking barefoot.The unusual footwear quickly became the talking point of the look. With a tiny block heel, thin straps and almost no visible sole, the sandals are one of the more experimental pieces to come out of Matthieu Blazy’s Chanel Cruise collection.
Margaret Qualley has been a Chanel ambassador for years, so seeing her in a head to toe Chanel look is hardly surprising. Still, these shoes raise a much more interesting question. Who else is actually going to wear them, and where?On the white carpet, the Chanel soleless sandals make sense. They are unusual, striking and designed to get noticed. They photograph beautifully because they almost disappear on the foot, creating the illusion that Margaret is barefoot.
Outside a red carpet setting, though, things get more complicated.
Would you wear these sandals to dinner? To a party? On vacation? To a beach club? They could work with a relaxed resort look, a sheer dress, a kaftan or something more playful. They also have a slightly sensual quality that might appeal to anyone who loves unusual or experimental footwear. But practical they are not.
A shoe with almost no sole naturally raises questions about comfort. How do you walk on uneven surfaces? How long can you actually wear them? What happens if you are standing for hours? Looking at the design, they seem better suited to controlled settings than everyday life. A red carpet works. A luxury resort could work. A private villa might work. But wearing them while walking through a city seems like a very different story.
The sandals may be the headline, but Margaret’s black Chanel dress deserves attention too. The floor length style is covered in soft circular detailing that creates movement across the fabric. The deep neckline gives it an easy, relaxed feel, while the textured surface brings in a subtle bohemian mood.
The combination is interesting because the dress itself is quite romantic, while the footwear feels almost conceptual. Together, they create a look that is elegant, unusual and slightly unexpected. That contrast is probably what makes the outfit work. Margaret Qualley has always had a way of making Chanel feel less polished and more personal. Here, the styling does not feel overly formal. The hair is simple, the makeup is understated and the dress has enough movement to keep the whole look from feeling stiff. Then there are those shoes.
Fashion often works best when it gives people something to talk about, and Chanel’s soleless sandals certainly do that. They are stylish enough to look intentional, strange enough to divide opinion and impractical enough to make you wonder whether they were ever meant for normal life in the first place.
For Margaret Qualley, the choice makes sense. She is a Chanel ambassador, this is a major film premiere and the shoes turn an otherwise elegant black look into something memorable.
The bigger question is what happens next. Will another celebrity wear Chanel’s barely there sandals? Will we see them styled for vacation, resort wear or another red carpet? Or are they destined to remain one of those fashion pieces that look fascinating in photographs but make very little sense anywhere else? Either way, they have done exactly what statement footwear is supposed to do. They got everyone looking.
