You’ve seen them at every heel height, with tons of outfits and even in an array of colors — that’s right, the slingback heel is a true icon.
Slingbacks usually feature some degree of a heel (although flats have become increasingly popular), as well as a leather strap that wraps around the heel to make them more secure and certainly cozier to walk in than, say, mules. They’re also a classic style that was created by none other than Gabrielle “Coco” Chanel herself in 1957.
History of the Slingback
True to form, the original versions from Chanel featured a beige and black colorway, which also made the shoe one of the first two-toned options ever created. Not only did Chanel believe that these were colors that could be easily taken from morning to night and activity to activity, the beige was intended to lengthen the leg while the black shortens the look of the foot. And who doesn’t want long, sultry legs and dainty little feet?
The original version also featured a 5-centimeter heel, which is just under 2 inches. This was intended to provide a little lift while maintaining a sense of comfort that could allow them to be worn for long hours. A couple of iterations later, Chanel also added elastic to the heel strap for extra comfort.
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While the shoe was at peak popularity for a few years after its creation, it started to lose its luster until 1983, when Karl Lagerfeld took over as the artistic director of Chanel. Throughout his storied tenure at the fashion house, Lagerfeld continually updated and tweaked everything on the shoe from the silhouette to the heel height and colors. He also carried the two-tone colorway over into many of Chanel’s other shoes.
During Chanel’s 2015 fall-winter ready-to-wear runway show, Lagerfeld even brought back the original classic version of the shoe, which he proved could work with the styles of the day as well as they did back in the 50s.
The Slingback in Pop Culture
In the 50s, the shoe was spotted on everyone from Bridget Bardot and Ann-Margret Olsson to Jackie Kennedy — and they made an appearance in just about every magazine photoshoot. Perhaps most-iconically, they are the shoes that Marilyn Monroe was wearing in the subway grate photo.
Today, the slingback has been given new life not just by Chanel, but by lots of other esteemed fashion houses. Fierce versions of the shoe have been popping up under brands like JW Anderson, whose take on the silhouette features a heel made of a large chain link; as well as Proenza Schouler, who released a metallic version with the tiniest kitten heel and a sharply-pointed toe for their pre-spring 2024 line. Prada is also known for its more feminine take on the shoe, with its bow-adorned version, which was worn by Gigi Hadid.
Slingbacks have definitely transcended styles and decades to become one of the most iconic shoes that could easily be considered a staple in any wardrobe.
