In February 2020, Kylie Jenner attended the Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills wearing a sculptural Ralph & Russo couture gown paired with Stuart Weitzman Merinda sandals.
While the floor-length skirt concealed most of her footwear, the look reflected a common red-carpet styling approach: using minimalist sandals to support an elaborate couture silhouette without competing for attention.
Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian arrive at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party in contrasting couture looks that balanced dramatic silhouettes with understated footwear choices
The event also marked one of the rare occasions when Kylie and Kim attended together in archival and couture designs that generated almost as much discussion as the jewelry and accessories they carried.
Kim Kardashian posing with her husband Kanye West at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party at the Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Beverly Hills, California, on February 9, 2020
Accessorizing with 25-carat nude diamond drop earrings and a 15-carat nude pear-shaped diamond ring from Lorraine Schwartz, Kim donned a shipwreck-inspired oyster dress from Alexander McQueen’s Spring 2003 Collection.
One of only two ever produced and one of the most recognizable archival pieces worn on a modern red carpet, the floor-length design was purchased by Kanye from Rita Watnick of Lily et Cie as a Christmas gift for his wife.
Kim Kardashian wears Alexander McQueen’s iconic “Oyster Dress” from the Spring 2003 collection, pairing the sculptural archival gown with wet-look hair and understated accessories
Kylie chose a navy Ralph & Russo Spring 2020 Couture gown distinguished by its structured corset, rounded silhouette, and crystal embellishments.
The dramatic shape naturally drew attention upward, allowing her Stuart Weitzman Merinda sandals to serve a supporting role rather than a focal point.
Part of the same minimalist evening-shoe tradition that made Stuart Weitzman’s Nudist sandals a red-carpet staple, the Merinda featured slender straps, an open-back design, a wraparound ankle strap, and a roughly 100mm heel.
For stylists, this type of barely-there sandal solves a common red-carpet challenge: adding height and stability without disrupting the proportions of a highly sculptural couture gown.
Kylie wrote on her Instagram, “couldn’t really sit in this but it was worth it 😊.”
That trade-off was largely intentional. Ralph & Russo’s Spring 2020 Couture collection emphasized exaggerated shapes, structured corsetry, and architectural silhouettes that prioritized visual impact over ease of movement. In photographs, the rounded hourglass silhouette created a striking profile, while the understated sandals disappeared beneath the hemline, allowing the couture construction to remain the center of attention.
She accessorized with Jimmy Choo’s Celeste clutch, a 30-carat emerald-cut diamond ring, and a 15-carat cushion-cut diamond ring from Lorraine Schwartz.
Kylie Jenner sparkles in a sculptural navy Ralph & Russo couture gown at the 2020 Vanity Fair Oscar Party, letting the crystal-encrusted silhouette take center stage while understated Stuart Weitzman sandals remain hidden beneath the hem on February 9, 2020, in Beverly Hills, California (Credit: Instar / WENN / Sheri Determan)
The combination reflected a long-standing red-carpet formula in which simple footwear balances highly detailed couture.
The contrast highlighted two very different approaches to footwear styling. At the Vanity Fair party, the shoes were intentionally hidden beneath a statement gown and chosen primarily for support and proportion.
Three days later, Kylie switched to a body-conscious monochromatic look that left her footwear fully visible, giving the heels a much larger role in the overall outfit.
Kylie Jenner leaves The Nice Guy in West Hollywood wearing a striking monochromatic red ensemble paired with barely-there nude mule heels and a Judith Leiber lip-shaped clutch on February 12, 2020
Unlike the discreet Stuart Weitzman sandals she wore to the Oscar after-party, the Femme Gigi mules were designed to be seen. The minimalist open-back silhouette, transparent detailing, and elevated heel created a leg-lengthening effect that complemented the monochromatic red ensemble.
During the late 2010s and early 2020s, similar barely-there mule styles became celebrity favorites because they delivered the visual effect of a high heel without adding the visual weight of a traditional pump or platform.
Kylie Jenner carries a crystal-covered Judith Leiber “Hot Lips” clutch while stepping out in a body-hugging red look for a Valentine’s week night at The Nice Guy in West Hollywood
The television personality toted a Judith Leiber Couture “Hot Lips” crystal clutch that is designed to resemble a plump pair of pouty lips.
Judith Leiber Couture’s crystal-encrusted Hot Lips clutch transforms a playful red-lip silhouette into a dazzling evening statement, blending novelty design with the label’s signature red-carpet glamour
How Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian Use Footwear to Shape Their Most Memorable Looks
Whether hidden beneath a restrictive couture gown or fully visible as part of a nightlife ensemble, Kylie Jenner’s footwear choices during February 2020 demonstrate how shoes can completely change the role they play within an outfit.
Her understated Stuart Weitzman Merinda sandals quietly supported a dramatic Ralph & Russo couture creation, while her Femme Gigi mules became an integral part of a bold Valentine’s-week look just days later.
Kim Kardashian approached the same Vanity Fair red carpet from a different angle, allowing an archival Alexander McQueen masterpiece to take center stage while keeping her styling deliberately restrained.
Together, the sisters offered a useful reminder that successful celebrity styling often depends on balance—knowing when footwear should command attention and when it should quietly support the overall silhouette.
👠 Explore Kylie Jenner & Kim Kardashian’s Shoe and Fashion Highlights:
- 📏 Standing at 5’6″ (167.6 cm) and wearing a US shoe size 8, Kylie Jenner often uses barely-there sandals, sculptural heels, and statement boots to sharpen her high-glam silhouette.
- 📏 Standing at 5’2″ (157.5 cm) and wearing around a US shoe size 7, Kim Kardashian has long relied on nude heels, sharp stilettos, and sleek boots to elongate her petite frame.
- ✨ Kylie’s Schiaparelli red-carpet debut with Timothée Chalamet paired a sheer black gown with pointed-toe Mary Jane mules for a polished, quietly dramatic finish.
- 🖤 Her Balmain leather mini and cage heels captured the sculpted, high-glam aesthetic that helped define her early red-carpet style.
- 👢 Kim’s Balenciaga Knife boots era highlights her shift toward sharper, more architectural footwear and monochromatic styling.
- 🖤 Her Balenciaga and Dolce & Gabbana looks range from vinyl pointed-toe boots to nearly invisible heels, showing how strategically she uses footwear to shape a silhouette.
- 💎 Kim’s metallic Rick Owens gown and clear Manolo Blahnik sandals offered a sleek interpretation of the transparent-shoe trend that dominated late-2010s red carpets.