Chanel dives feet first into new sandal design that exposes more than just toes

The new hot fashion accessory this summer may just be a shoe with no sole.

Fashion powerhouse Chanel debuted its Cruise 2027 collection Tuesday in Biarritz, France. Among the standout designs? A sandal that appears to be half-finished, with material just covering the model's heel, held together by two tied straps.

According to Elle, which reviewed the show, the design was "intentionally incomplete" and "relied solely on what the brand called a 'barefoot heel cap.'"

But some online described the footwear as "freakish." As photos emerged from the runway, social media users expressed a mix of shock and confusion as they joked about the design.

"Recession indicators: half a shoe from Chanel," a user wrote on Threads.

"What in the Pharoah Let My People Go is happening here," another joked.

"That’s not even a shoe. It’s a sh" quipped one user, referring to the fact that the shoe doesn't cover much of the foot.

Another user wrote: "Nobody: How can we make women’s shoes more uncomfortable and less practical? Chanel: hold my beer."

Chanel Creative Director Matthieu Blazy’s collection was “a homage to the streamlined style codes that Chanel established in the 1920s, borrowing from sportswear, workwear and sailors’ uniforms,” Women’s Wear Daily wrote in its review.

“At some point, someone told me, ‘It’s too much,’” Blazy told the publication, referring to an early conversation with his design team. “And then we saw this amazing photo of the seashore that was recolored from 1910, and you have all the tents with the Basque stripes and it’s such a mess, it’s such an explosion. I was like, ‘You know what? Let’s go!’”

The collection generated praise from fashion critics, who joined celebrities such as Nicole Kidman, Tilda Swinton and A$AP Rocky in France for the runway show.

The sandal was the real star, however.

“Um ex-SHOES me!” CNN fashion critic Rachel Seville Tashjian wrote in her Instagram post from the event.

As of Wednesday, the shoe hasn’t been listed as a retail item yet, so the cost is unknown. But the publicity, thus far, has been free.