The magic of Naked Shoes in Amina Muaddi’s collection
The coming summer season announces itself ‘naked’ in every aspect, including the world of footwear. Transparent materials such as PVC, Plexiglas and nets as thin as tulle dominate the catwalks for spring summer 2023, bringing the famous naked shoes to the forefront. After the success of the naked dress, it is now time for naked shoes, transparent shoes that delicately flaunt the nude effect. By naked shoes we don’t just mean sandals with straps that leave a good portion of the foot uncovered. We are talking about shoes made of transparent or semi-transparent materials such as PVC, vinyl, Plexiglas or mesh, which completely envelop the foot, creating a fascinating nude effect. Spring Summer 2022 anticipated this young trend in footwear with the iconic and innocent jelly shoes, taking us back to childhood spent looking for shells and climbing rocks. The catwalk shows dedicated to the coming warm season confirm and deepen the trend of nude effects, inevitably triggering memories of every little girl’s favourite fairy tales. Who can forget Cinderella’s crystal slippers? It is precisely the familiar, enchanted look of naked shoes that wins the hearts of the most nostalgic, who will be spoilt for choice for spring summer 2023. Playing a leading role in the rise of this trend in recent years has been a contemporary princess: Kim Kardashian. In 2016, she sported a pair of heeled sandals with transparent PVC straps, the creations of her husband Kanye West’s creative genius with his Yeezy Season 2 line. Previously, the transparent texture had made its appearance on the Valentino catwalk in 2013, with a clean-cut, minimalist pump, followed by Dolce&Gabbana’s jewel shoe presented for autumn winter 2016. However, it was in 2018, when Alexa Chung brought back the adorable transparent rubber shoes, that the spark turned into a real flame in the fashion scene. The 2019 collections marked an increasingly revealing escalation in the approach to footwear, from Marc Jacobs’ pumps with sculptural heels that looked like they had been specially sculpted from glass, to MSGM’s Texan ankle boots with transparent inserts. During fashion month, Net-a-Porter recorded a 400% increase in searches for ‘transparent heels’. According to Libby Page, the retailer’s marketing director, 18 new models were purchased for the coming season. If initially the trend of nude effects had only reappeared in clothing, it is now also conquering the world of accessories, and footwear cannot be excluded. Certainly, they represent a purchase that divides opinion, loved by some and rejected by others. But it is undeniable that transparent shoes are an investment worth betting on, and we will not be rid of this trend anytime soon.
Amina Muaddi
It is impossible to talk about naked shoes without mentioning Amina Muaddi, the Jordanian-Romanian designer who grew up in Italy and conquered the women’s footwear scene with her geometric heels and transparent shoes, loved by stars such as Rihanna and Kendall Jenner. But spring summer 2023 presents an even wider range of silhouettes, dedicated to satisfying every need. Vinyl, PVC, mesh and Plexiglas: shoes for the coming hot season show the foot through translucent materials, with decorations or in a minimalist style. Whether sensuality, elegance or innocence, naked shoes represent a nuanced youthful trend suitable for any occasion. Are you ready to embrace the elegance and charm of nued effect shoes? Don’t miss Michele Franzese Moda’s selection of the most beautiful naked shoes including sandals, pumps or slingbacks designed by Amina Muaddi to wear this season.
