Hot on the heels of a year of freaky shoes—a term popularized by fashion analyst Mandy Lee (or “Old Loser in Brooklyn,” as she’s known online to her almost 1 million followers across Instagram and TikTok)—we met Matthieu Blazy’s heel-only Chanel sandal and reached peak freak.
So what’s next? An equally eccentric pedicure, of course—digital footprint be damned.
“Toes are an underestimated canvas,” nail artist Aja Walton says, my left foot resting in her capable hand. She’s painting my toenails in the classic French manicure style, adding a few Essie Not Red-y for Bed-colored ladybugs to befriend the crystal snail on my patent leather Christian Louboutin stilettos. “People seem to have the lowest expectations when it comes to pedicures and leave the most surprised.”
In an era where “no feet pics for free” is an internet mantra, celebrities are going all in on the freaky pedicure trend… and we only know it because, well, they shared photos on main. Hailey Bieber went wild with her matching tips and toes during a trip to Japan, and Kylie Jenner took a beach vacation in the Turks & Caicos with a metallic French pedicure. (It should be noted that nail artist savant Zola Ganzorigt was behind both of their looks.)
“My feet are all the rage in Greenpoint right now,” says Vogue’s associate social media manager Edgar Gatsinzi. He’d spent an afternoon with Molly Romah at Chillhouse’s nail atelier in SoHo, where she created a pedicure with 3D embellishments that looked like drops of mercury. “We’re getting a lot of pedicure nail art requests because of the warmer weather,” Romah says—with more to come, no doubt. “A girl came over when I was at Red Rover and asked to take a photo of them to take to her salon,” Gatsinzi says.
If you’re interested in dipping a toe into the world of freaky shoes (and then getting a matching nail design), Tory Burch is a good place to start. “I have always been interested in creating tension [in my designs],” the designer says, citing mules that make your heel look like it’s floating, and sandals with trompe l’oeil pedicures of their own. “There is a growing fatigue around perfection and a real desire for pieces with personality and wit.”
Celebrity nail artist and Star Touch Agency co-owner Julie Kandalec—who notes that toenail art was already everywhere when she visited Japan late last year—calls the freaky pedicure, like the bold zebra print she created for Vogue Runway editor Max Berlinger, “a fun little treat.” It’s also the ideal choice for the beauty lover who has a more conservative job. “Someone keeping a solid color on their hands then wearing art on their toes is the nail equivalent of business in front, party in the back,” she says. “It’s our little secret until we put on open-toed shoes.” Just take Vogue’s fashion writer Hannah Jackson, who tasked Vanity Projects’ Minami Yamagami with creating 10 tiny pièces de résistance inspired by Claude Monet’s Water Lilies to match her equally artful Dior mules. (Yamagami achieved the effect with a collection of Aprés nail polishes, including the serene blue from Aprés named Oh My Cod.)
But many are going freaky from top to toe. “Clients no longer think of pedicures as separate from their manicure,” says Yamagami. “They come in with a complete concept and want their toes to feel like part of the overall look.”
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