Chanel Just Debuted a Barefoot Shoe and It’s Confusing Everyone

Since being appointed Chanel’s artistic director in December 2024, Matthieu Blazy has begun shaping a creative direction for the French fashion house, combining Chanel’s heritage with contemporary design. His Cruise 2027 collection, unveiled in Biarritz, served as a major presentation in his growth, drawing directly from Gabrielle Chanel’s historical connection to the coastal town where she opened a couture house in 1915.

Staged at Le Casino Municipal in Biarritz, the collection reflected the seaside setting that influenced Chanel’s early approach to practical womenswear. Blazy drew on this history for a collection that explored resort dressing through the house’s signature design elements while introducing new interpretations of classic Chanel silhouettes.

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The runway featured updated little black dresses, tailored separates, swimwear references, and textured garments that reflected Biarritz’s resort influence. Fringe detailing, shimmering embellishments, newspaper-inspired prints, abbreviated rompers, and beachwear influences appeared throughout the collection. Mermaid-inspired elements and coastal textures continued the coastal theme, while maintaining Chanel’s emphasis on craftsmanship.

Accessories were central, with oversized handbags and reworked versions of Chanel’s signature cap-toe footwear appearing across multiple looks. Traditional cap-toe shoes were presented in colorful variations, preserving one of the house’s signature designs while adapting it for a more resortwear setting.

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The collection’s most talked-about debut, however, was Blazy’s introduction of Chanel’s new “barefoot heel” design. The shoe reinterpreted the house’s cap-toe concept in an unconventional design featuring minimal heel construction and delicate ankle ties while leaving much of the foot exposed. Styled beneath certain hemlines, the design created the illusion of near-bare feet, quickly becoming one of the show’s key visual details.

Divided reactions across fashion and social media made the design one of the main topics of discussion during the Cruise 2027 presentation, highlighting Blazy’s approach to updating Chanel’s accessories through more experimental design.

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Blazy’s Biarritz presentation reflected his creative direction at Chanel: revisiting the house’s archive while introducing modern updates. By basing the collection on Gabrielle Chanel’s legacy and pairing signature details with more experimental accessories, Cruise 2027 offered a further indication of how Blazy intends to develop Chanel’s creative direction.