When put together, the words “plastic” and “shoes” conjure up images of utilitarian wellies, but just as Balenciaga transformed the humble Croc into an embellished platform of epic proportions, Chanel has turned a style best suited for splashing around in puddles into what’s likely to be next season’s high fashion It item.
Creative director Karl Lagerfeld debuted the boots, which are cap-toed, knee-high, and see-through, at Chanel’s Spring/Summer 18 show on the final day of Paris Fashion Week.
Chanel is known for their over-the-top shows, and this one was no exception. Held at the Grand Palais, it featured a life-like recreation of the Verdon Gorge, a river canyon in Provence, France, which might explain why models like Kaia Gerber needed those plastic boots, not to mention the PVC hats, gloves, and bags that were paired with them.
While the transparent, block-heeled boots do signal a rainy day vibe, they’re also reminiscent of another recent cult footwear hit: Yeezy’s transparent PVC boots, as seen on various Kardashians and this Seventeen reporter who found that they produce an awful lot of unwanted (and very clearly visible) foot sweat and steam.
Unless Lagerfeld has made some kind of serious scientific discovery, it’s likely that doing any kind of strenuous activity in these boots will produce similarly sweaty results, which means they’re really only doable if you’re living that cab-to-curb kind of life.
But while the PVC boots may be practically (not to mention financially) improbable, there’s nothing to stop you from taking a page out of the Chanel handbook when it comes to a see-through hat or purse. Just make sure, in the case of the latter, that you invest in something cute and opaque in which to store the items you might not want the whole world to see (see: tampons, pills, grody old makeup compacts) inside.
