Clear heels are one of the hottest celebrity footwear trends, but unfortunately, the see-through material puts every foot imperfection on display.
Foot fog, exposed chipped nail polish, and scrunched-up toes are just a few of the transparent shoe disasters involving sweaty feet we’ve noticed.
How to Stop Foot Odor and Keep Your Feet Fresh
The American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) states that excessive foot sweating can indicate hyperhidrosis. However, almost everyone will experience having sweaty feet at times. It can lead to health issues such as odor, athlete’s foot, and toenail fungus.
Charlotte Dawson’s feet appear sweaty and crushed in clear plastic heels, highlighting the discomfort of this see-through shoe trend (Credit: WENN)
Fortunately, it’s easy to stop your clear shoes from fogging. You can also prevent smelly and sweaty feet by using antiperspirant treatment. Nothing seems to deter fashion followers from stuffing their tootsies into trendy, plasticky, transparent footwear.
From sticky, sweaty feet to bunions and corns out in plain view, here are the worst foot problems we’ve seen thanks to this show-everything style. Get ready for some sweaty feet and clear heels:
1. Kim Kardashian’s Clear Heels: A Disaster Waiting to Happen
Let’s start off the list with something simple. In September 2015, when Kim Kardashian was pregnant with her baby boy Saint, she was seen strutting around in clear sandals with unsteady perspex heels that looked like they were about to break!
Kim’s Yeezy Season 2 sandals were yet to be released then, and the clear shoe trend was just about to take off.
Heavily pregnant Kim Kardashian in Yeezy Season 2 clear sandals with perspex heels that look like they’re about to snap while leaving an office in Sherman Oaks in Los Angeles, California, on September 28, 2015 (Credit: WENN)
We also won’t forget when the pregnant SKIMS founder stuffed her poor swollen feet into clear Givenchy “Albertina” heels.
2. Jennifer Hudson’s Toe Overhang Steals the Spotlight
We know one of the main appeals of clear shoes is that they make legs look longer, but this is just ridiculous. Jennifer Hudson’s toes were extending way over the soles of her Manolo Blahnik clear sandals and were spilling onto the red carpet.
Other celebrities with the same toe overhang problem include January Jones in Yeezy’s Season 2 clear sandals and Brittany Snow in Tamara Mellon’s “Frontline” clear-strap heels.
Jennifer Hudson with a bad toe overhang in Manolo Blahnik clear-strap ankle-wrap sandals at the 2014 People’s Choice Awards held at the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles, California, on January 8, 2014 (Credit: WENN / Apega)
3. Emma Watson’s Clear Shoes Fail with Slipping Inserts
It’s pretty much impossible to wear shoe inserts with clear shoes, so what was Emma Watson thinking?
Emma Watson with a twisted left ankle strap and a shoe insert falling out of her Chanel PVC-and-satin pumps at a press conference for “The Bling Ring” at the 66th Cannes Film Festival in Cannes, France, on May 16, 2013 (Credit: WENN)
Her footpad insert, resembling a chicken cutlet, was clearly visible through the PVC panel of her Chanel pumps and was even starting to slip out. To make matters worse, the ankle strap on her left pump was awkwardly twisted.
Emma Watson’s chicken cutlet footpad was not only visible through the PVC panel of her Chanel pumps (Credit: WENN)
4. Alysia Reiner’s Struggle: Pinkie Toes vs. Tight Clear Straps
There’s no hiding a poor fit in clear shoes. Alysia Reiner’s pinkie toes painfully peeked out, unable to squeeze into the narrow, transparent straps of her ankle-tie sandals.
Alysia Reiner with her pinkie toes desperately trying to fit into the clear straps of her ankle-ribbon sandals at the 2014 Young Hollywood Awards at the Wiltern Theatre in Los Angeles, California, on July 27, 2014 (Credit: WENN)
5. Taylor Schilling’s “Foot Fog” Moment in Clear Pumps
Aah, the wardrobe malfunction that started it all. Taylor Schilling’s steamy clear pumps helped us coin “foot fog” in 2012.
Celebrities who followed suit in falling victim to the foggy footwear faux pas include Chloë Grace Moretz, Chrissy Teigen, and Kim Kardashian.
Taylor Schilling with a bad case of foot fog in Rupert Sanderson’s “Prunia” pumps at “The Lucky One” UK premiere held at the Bluebird Cafe in London, England, on April 23, 2012 (Credit: WENN)
6. Fashion Week Fails: Corns, Chipped Polish, and Cramped Toes
Yikes. The Toga Spring 2017 fashion show featured models clad in clear shoes left and right, and the runway quickly turned into a parade of corns, chipped nail polish, and scrunched-up and discolored toes.
A model tortures her feet in foggy clear heels (Credit: WENN)
We know that finding time for a pedicure and foot treatment is practically impossible for a model during fashion week, but finding time for proper foot care is non-negotiable if you wear see-through shoes.
Clear platform sandals exposing poor scrunched-up toes and chipped nail polish at the Toga spring/summer 2017 fashion show during London Fashion Week in London, United Kingdom, on September 20, 2016 (Credit: WENN)
7. Kim Kardashian’s Foggy Clear Thigh-High Boots
We know Kim Kardashian is always the first to sport the new Yeezy trends, and sure enough, she was spotted rocking the brand’s Season 4 clear thigh-high boots before they even debuted on the runway.
But, being ahead of a trend has its downsides. Kim didn’t seem to know how to prevent her transparent thigh-highs from fogging up while she rocked a denim-on-denim look in New York.
Kim Kardashian steps out in New York City on September 6, 2016, wearing a bleached Yeezy Season 5 jacket, PVC transparent Yeezy Season 4 boots, and a La Perla bra, with her fogged-up boots showcasing the perils of clear footwear (Credit: Dara Kushner / INFphoto)
8. Yeezy Runway Chaos: Models Slip and Trip in Clear Heels
Here’s an easy math equation: Plastic shoes + warm weather = massive foot sweat. The Yeezy Season 4 fashion show was a perfect storm of natural elements that turned the runway into a veritable slip-and-slide.
A model showcases fogged-up PVC thigh-high boots at Kanye West’s Yeezy Season 4 Fashion Show at Four Freedoms Park on Roosevelt Island, New York City, September 7, 2016 (Credit: BEW / Startraksphoto)
Models were tripping left and right, and one completely ripped off the clear shoes she was supposed to wear for the show.
Several models had trouble walking in the many clear plastic shoes and boots at the Yeezy season 4 fashion show held at a former smallpox hospital on Roosevelt Island in New York City on September 7, 2016.
9. Amina Blue’s Foggy Thigh-High Boots: A Post-Yeezy Mishap
Amina Blue was the model who took off her faulty heels in frustration at the Yeezy Season 4 fashion show — she’s at 0:19 seconds into the video above.
You’d think she would’ve learned to stay away from clear shoes by then, but the German-Pakistani beauty could not resist posting an Instagram picture of her wearing visibly very sweaty clear thigh-high boots just two days after the Yeezy show.
Instagram star and model Amina Blue in one of her Outfit of the Day Instagram posts showing her wearing sweaty and foggy clear thigh-high boots — posted on September 9, 2016 (Credit: Amina Blue’s Instagram)
10. PH5 Fashion Show: A Parade of Sweaty Clear Boots
It was one foot-fogged model after another at the PH5 Fall 2017 fashion show at Bortolami Gallery in New York City on February 8, 2017.
Models showcase foggy, clear thigh-high boots at the PH5 Fall 2017 fashion presentation, highlighting the practical challenges of transparent footwear (Credit: PH5’s Instagram)
The clothes were beautiful, but the presentation was literally dampened by the lineup of steamy, sweaty, clear boots.
Models line up in clear, foggy thigh-high boots at the PH5 Fall 2017 show, showcasing the impractical side of transparent footwear trends (Credit: MBFW Berlin’s Instagram)
11. Karolina Kurkova’s Severe “Foot Fog” in Ferragamo Heels
Karolina Kurkova in a black and gold tile dress at the Wallis Annenberg Center For The Performing Arts Inaugural Gala held at Wallis Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts in Los Angeles, California, on October 17, 2013 (Credit: WENN)
The former Victoria’s Secret Angel styled her sweaty PVC heels with a black and gold tile dress from the Salvatore Ferragamo Spring 2014 collection.
Karolina Kurkova reveals visibly sweaty feet in black patent and clear PVC heels, highlighting the challenges of wearing transparent footwear (Credit: WENN)
12. Daisy Ridley’s Sweaty Feet Suffer in Cap-Toe Pumps
The English actress made her stinky feet suffer in metallic silver toe cap pumps and a white dress at a Star Wars Force 4 Fashion event at the Skylight Modern in New York City.
Daisy Ridley tortures her sweaty feet in Gianvito Rossi Anais pumps at the Star Wars Force 4 Fashion event in New York City on December 2, 2015 (Credit: WENN)
For more insights into overcoming the challenges of foggy clear boots, don’t miss our guide on how to stop clear shoes from fogging up, packed with practical tips for preventing moisture and sweat buildup.
If you’re curious about memorable fashion mishaps, check out Taylor Schilling’s struggle with foot fog in our feature on clear pumps and sweaty feet.
For another iconic moment, read how Jessica Sutta’s sweaty and fogged-up feet in clear thigh-high boots stole the spotlight at her album release party. These articles are a must-read for anyone looking to rock transparent footwear while avoiding common pitfalls.