Julianne Moore’s Famous “Toemageddon”: Identifying the Charlotte Olympia Sandals That Caused the Crisis

When it comes to red-carpet poise, few do it better than Julianne Moore—even when faced with a viral wardrobe mishap.

During the opening ceremony of the 66th Cannes Film Festival in May 2013, the Oscar-winning actress experienced a now-infamous shoe malfunction where her toes appeared to escape the confines of her platform sandals. Rather than ignoring the fashion faux pas, Moore offered a masterclass in damage control during an appearance on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, jokingly dubbing the incident “Toemageddon.”

It is a rare and refreshing moment of relatability from a Hollywood icon, proving that even the most seasoned style stars can fall victim to a narrow toe box. Before we dive into the specific footwear that caused the “foot crisis,” let’s look back at the original red carpet moment in France and how Moore turned a public pinch into a comedic win.

Julianne Moore attended the opening ceremony and screening of The Great Gatsby at the 66th Cannes Film Festival on May 15, 2013, wearing a strapless Christian Dior Couture Spring 2013 gown styled with delicate silver platform sandals (Credit: Lia Toby / WENN / Joe Alvarez)

Everything was going well until you noticed her toes, which looked as if they were being threatened with amputation.

Julianne Moore’s toes visibly extended beyond the front of her silver platform sandals, drawing attention to the narrow toe box during her Cannes appearance

Julianne Moore later explained the mishap to Jimmy Fallon, revealing that despite how dramatic it looked, she felt no pain and barely noticed it at the time.

Calling the incident “toe-gate” and “toe-maggedon,” she revealed, “I didn’t feel it, I didn’t feel a thing!” while gesticulating wildly.

Julianne Moore later dubbed the Cannes shoe mishap “Toemageddon,” after her silver platform sandals’ narrow toe box led to visible toe overhang on the red carpet

“I did what any reasonable person would do. I needed to prevent this from happening again, so I cut my toes off,” she added jokingly and handed Jimmy Fallon a tiny tin box containing her (plastic) pink toes.

Aside from proving that Julianne Moore is a gorgeous actress with a great sense of humor, this post is also for finally ID-ing her controversial silver platform sandals.

It was the narrow toe box on these Charlotte Olympia “Tokyo” sandals that caused Julianne Moore’s shoe disaster:

Julianne Moore’s red-carpet heels were the Charlotte Olympia Tokyo platform sandals, featuring a towering metallic platform and a notoriously narrow toe box

You know we love Charlotte Olympia here on Your Next Shoes, but we really can’t fault Julianne Moore for what happened at Cannes. You can use shoe inserts and other simple tricks to keep your feet from slipping in high heels.

When Style Meets Reality: Celebrity Lessons in Shoe Fit

Julianne Moore’s Cannes “Toemageddon” may have gone viral, but it highlights a familiar red-carpet truth: even the most experienced style icons aren’t immune to the pitfalls of narrow toe boxes and sky-high platforms.

From subtle toe overhangs to full-blown shoe mishaps, these moments offer practical lessons in fit, comfort, and choosing heels that work with your feet—not against them.