

Marant’s distaste for her famous sneaker has mellowed, it seems. “They have become something super-vulgar, so I’m not feeling like I want to be the wedge-sneaker designer,” she told The Cut in 2014.īut Ms.

Marant denounced her own design even as it continued to pad her bottom line. The Bekett begat a million cheap knockoffs so unsightly that Ms. Cut to 60 stores globally at current count. When it was introduced, Isabel Marant had just expanded to the United States, with a single store in New York. The sneaker put the brand on a global map. Marant had built as an independent, unpretentious purveyor of Parisian tomboy/bohemian nonchalance since starting her business in 1994. The ubiquity of the Bekett outstripped the reputation Ms. It was emblematic of a moment, just before social media took over our lives and millennials took over the narrative. It transcended fashion and became culture. Like the Juicy Couture tracksuit, low-rise jeans and Uggs, the orthopedic-looking wedge sneaker was the kind of design you either professed your undying love for or wouldn’t be caught dead in. Charnin Morrison endured the wait for her pair of gold Beketts. I don’t even know what size she is, but if she’s done with them, you have to send them to me.’” Alas, Ms. “I said: ‘I know Beyoncé’s only going to wear the sneakers once. Charnin Morrison, then the fashion director of Us Weekly, remembers dispatching a desperate email to Ty Hunter, Beyoncé’s stylist at the time.

The sneakers sold out everywhere and spawned six-month wait lists. Beyoncé wore a black suede pair in her 2011 “Love on Top” video. The Bekett was everywhere - in street-style shots of Gisele Bündchen, Miranda Kerr, Kate Bosworth, Jessica Alba, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Joan Smalls and Leandra Medine, the influencers of a pre-influencer age. “It was like lightning had hit my head,” said Sasha Charnin Morrison, the style director at CBS Watch. Yes, a high-heeled sneaker - a concept deemed genius, heinous, anathema, so-wrong-it’s-right and oh so very, very wrong all at once. No matter your style, desire for comfort, or budget, there's a wedge sneaker begging to be in your wardrobe.The original - once it was everywhere. There are wedge sneakers for every occasion, from fur-lined ones in the winter to waterproof ones that are perfect for a boating trip. Pair them with jeans and a t-shirt for brunch, a cute dress for your next picnic, or even some jeans and a blazer for a nice dinner. Wedge sneakers are also an easy, fun, and comfy way to elevate nearly any casual look. Think about it-we value thicker mattresses and cushier socks, right? Some of the shoes below have nearly three inches of memory foam in them so you'll actually feel like you're walking on clouds. The best part about wedge sneakers is that sometimes, they can actually be even more comfortable than a non-heeled sneaker. If you're gawking at the oxymoron of a pair of sneakers with heels, think again. Sure, we still love our classic Nike and Adidas sneakers, but now that high-fashion runways like Balenciaga and Chanel are filled with sneakers, there are more options than ever before.Īnd, if you still can't kick the desire for height or a heel, wedge sneakers are the ultimate solution. But, with the rise of low-heeled shoes like sneakers and loafers being fashion-forward, style has taken on a whole new, more comfortable meaning. The words "comfy" and "heels" rarely show up in the same sentence unless prefaced by the word "not". These Wedge Sneakers Are So Comfy, You’ll Forget You’re Wearing Heels
