London: Margaret Qualley made a striking fashion statement at the London premiere of The Dog Stars by stepping out in one of Chanel’s most unconventional footwear designs yet. The actress wore the luxury house’s controversial “barefoot” sandals, which leave most of the foot exposed and create the illusion that the wearer is walking almost barefoot.
Qualley attended the premiere on August 20 alongside director Ridley Scott and co-stars including Josh Brolin, Jacob Elordi, Benedict Wong and Guy Pearce. While her black Chanel dress was elegant and understated, it was her unusual footwear that quickly became the centre of attention.
Margaret Qualley’s unconventional Chanel look
For the premiere, Qualley opted for a black Chanel dress featuring cap sleeves and delicate fringe detailing. The silhouette offered a classic yet relaxed look, while the minimalist styling allowed the unusual shoes to become the standout element of her outfit.
She completed the look with loose waves, understated jewellery and dark nail polish, maintaining a relatively simple beauty aesthetic.
The shoes, however, were anything but conventional.
Rather than covering the foot like a traditional sandal, Chanel’s design consists primarily of a small heel cap and ankle straps, leaving the toes and much of the sole completely exposed.
What are Chanel’s barefoot sandals?
The unusual footwear was created under Chanel’s creative director Matthieu Blazy and first appeared as part of the brand’s Cruise 2027 collection.
The design pushes the idea of minimalist footwear to an extreme by reducing a shoe to only the elements needed to secure it to the foot. The result is a look that resembles walking barefoot while technically incorporating a heel and ankle fastening.
The sandals were initially presented during Chanel’s resort collection showcase in Biarritz, France, where their unconventional construction immediately attracted attention.
Qualley’s appearance marks one of the most prominent celebrity outings for the design and helped take the unusual footwear from the runway to the mainstream fashion conversation.
A bold choice for the red carpet
Red carpet footwear traditionally combines fashion with practicality, particularly at major film premieres where celebrities may spend considerable time walking, posing for photographers and interacting with fans.
Qualley’s decision to wear the barely-there Chanel design therefore stood out.
The shoes left her toes and the majority of her feet uncovered as she walked across the London premiere venue. Images from the event quickly circulated online, with many viewers initially wondering whether she was actually barefoot.
The unconventional appearance became a talking point almost immediately.
Internet divided over the look
The Chanel sandals have generated mixed reactions online.
Some fashion followers praised Qualley for embracing an experimental design and described the look as daring and fashion-forward. Others questioned the practicality and hygiene of wearing footwear that leaves so much of the foot exposed.
Social media reactions ranged from jokes about the unusual design to criticism over whether such shoes were suitable for a public event.
The debate has also highlighted the growing popularity of so-called “naked shoe” or “non-shoe” trends, in which conventional footwear is stripped down to reveal much more of the foot.
The rise of the non-shoe trend
Chanel’s barefoot sandals are part of a wider fashion movement towards increasingly minimalist footwear.
The trend has been gaining attention through designs that blur the line between wearing shoes and going barefoot. Earlier minimalist styles from other fashion houses also experimented with mesh, transparent materials and barely-there constructions.
The latest Chanel design takes that concept further by leaving the sole and toes exposed while retaining a small heel structure and ankle straps.
The approach reflects a broader movement in luxury fashion towards unconventional silhouettes and designs intended to challenge traditional ideas of what clothing and accessories should look like.
Margaret Qualley and Chanel
Qualley has a longstanding association with Chanel and has previously appeared in the fashion house’s campaigns and runway shows.
Her relationship with the brand made her a natural choice to introduce the unusual footwear to a high-profile red carpet audience.
The actress has frequently embraced Chanel for major public appearances, making her latest look consistent with her established connection to the French luxury label.
However, the barefoot sandals represent a much more experimental direction than the classic Chanel styles she has worn in the past.
The Dog Stars premiere
The fashion moment took place during the London premiere of The Dog Stars, Ridley Scott’s upcoming post-apocalyptic film.
The movie is based on Peter Heller’s 2012 novel and features a cast including Qualley, Jacob Elordi, Josh Brolin, Guy Pearce, Benedict Wong and Allison Janney.
The story follows Hig, a pilot navigating a post-apocalyptic world while searching for hope and human connection after society has been devastated.
The film is scheduled to arrive in cinemas on August 28, 2026.
Fashion moment overshadows the film promotion
While the premiere was designed to promote The Dog Stars, Qualley’s footwear quickly became one of the night’s biggest talking points.
Her black Chanel outfit initially appeared relatively understated compared with some dramatic red carpet gowns. The unusual shoes changed that equation, drawing attention to her feet and generating widespread discussion online.
The moment demonstrates how a single experimental fashion choice can dominate red carpet coverage and turn an otherwise classic outfit into a viral fashion story.
Why the shoes are attracting attention
The appeal of the barefoot sandals lies partly in their contradiction.
They are an expensive luxury-fashion creation designed to look as though the wearer is barely wearing shoes at all. Their unusual construction challenges the conventional purpose of footwear, which is traditionally expected to protect and cover the foot.
Instead, Chanel has treated the footwear almost like jewellery, using minimal materials to create a visual effect rather than prioritising conventional coverage.
That tension between practicality and artistic expression is precisely what has made the design so divisive.
A new direction for celebrity footwear
Qualley’s red carpet appearance could also help popularise the naked-shoe aesthetic beyond fashion runways.
Celebrity endorsements have historically played a major role in turning experimental runway trends into mainstream fashion. When a major star wears an unusual design at a high-profile event, it can quickly generate interest among consumers and fashion followers.
Whether Chanel’s barefoot sandals become a wider trend remains to be seen, but Qualley’s appearance has certainly given the design considerable visibility.
Conclusion
Margaret Qualley made headlines at The Dog Stars London premiere by wearing Chanel’s unconventional barefoot sandals, pairing the barely-there footwear with a sophisticated black fringed dress. The shoes feature a small heel cap and ankle straps while leaving most of the foot exposed, creating the striking appearance of walking barefoot.
The design, created by Chanel creative director Matthieu Blazy for the brand’s Cruise 2027 collection, has divided fashion followers, with some praising its boldness and others questioning its practicality and hygiene.
Qualley’s appearance has nevertheless placed Chanel’s “barefoot” footwear firmly in the spotlight and added another high-profile example to the growing trend of minimalist, barely-there shoes.