The History of Carrie Bradshaw’s Iconic Blue Manolo Blahnik Pumps From ‘Sex and the City’
And just like that it, the next chapter of “Sex and the City” is almost here.
Aptly titled, “And Just Like That…”, Carrie (Sarah Jessica Parker), Miranda (Cynthia Nixon) and Charlotte (Kristin Davis) are back together as they navigate the journey from the complicated reality of life and friendship in their 30s to the even more complicated reality of life and friendship in their 50s.
Luckily for us, shoes still seem to be a major focal point, and what’s a “Sex and the City” reboot without Carrie’s iconic blue Manolo Blahniks pumps?
Though the premiere isn’t until Thursday on HBO Max, key art from the series was released last month, featuring Parker as Carrie fondly looking at her Manolo Blahnik Hangisi heels.
These shoes come with a lot of history.
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To start, the crystal-buckle pumps have become a footwear phenomenon for the past decade, ever since it launched for spring 2008. “It’s one of those things that I cannot explain, but I do thank God for it. I never do things thinking they are going to be iconic. It was just a coincidence,” Blahnik told FN in a 2018 interview about the Hangisi obsession. “It just goes on and on.”
“Sex and the City” has been a key reason for the shoes impact on consumers after the memorable scene from the 2008 film. It was at Carrie’s pre-war apartment where Mr. Big stands inside their empty walk-in closet with the Manolos in hand, gets down on one knee and proposes. According to Blahnik, the shoe moment wasn’t planned, it just happened organically.
Since then, the Hangisi style has evolved into boots, mules, d’Orsays and flats. It has been produced in over 100 different materials and colorways, as well as in seven different heel heights.
Fast-forward 13 years and Carrie Bradshaw is still holding on to the shoes.
In July, Parker was spotted filming “And Just Like That…” in character, wearing a menswear-inspired ensemble dark green wide-leg trousers, paired with an oversized cream blazer and her famous blue satin Manolo Blahnik heels.
As for the inspiration behind the design? Blahink said he was inspired after visiting an exhibition by the Italian portraitist Giovanni Boldini. He said, “Boldini painted European society ladies in the late 19th and early-20th centuries, and I noticed some of them had buckles on their shoes.” There are also echoes of the traditional North African baboosh slippers, immortalized by the French artist Eugène Delacroix.
Another fun fact: “Hangisi” means “Which one?” in Turkish. The designer chose it, he said, because he thought it sounded romantic. Plus, every crystal buckle contains 144 stones.
To get a glimpse of more Manolo Blahink styles, be sure to tune into “And Just Like That’s” first two episodes premiering on Dec. 9. The following eight episodes of the 10-episode season will then release one at a time on subsequent Thursdays.
Click the gallery to see more outfits from the “Sex and the City” reboot.
