Robin Williams Named His Daughter Zelda—Then She Made Heel-Less Shoe History

Robin Williams’ love of storytelling didn’t stop at film and comedy—it extended into video games, too.

A devoted fan of The Legend of Zelda, Williams famously named his daughter Zelda after the game’s iconic princess, drawn to a name he described as both strong and beautiful.

Robin Williams once shared that he and his wife, Marsha Garces, were avidly playing The Legend of Zelda during her pregnancy and decided then and there to name their daughter after the iconic Princess Zelda (Credit: Carlos Diaz / INFGoff)

The choice wasn’t symbolic in hindsight; it happened in real time. Williams later shared that he and his wife, Marsha Garces, were actively playing The Legend of Zelda during her pregnancy and jokingly admitted they were “addicted” to the game when they settled on the name.

Years later, father and daughter revisited the story together in a 2011 interview, offering a rare, warm glimpse into how pop culture, family life, and personal meaning intertwined for them.

That connection between games and legacy resurfaced publicly in December 2011, when Zelda Williams stepped out at the Spike TV Video Game Awards at Sony Studios in Los Angeles—a fitting full-circle moment that blended her name’s origin with her own emerging presence in the spotlight.

Although Brooklyn Decker was there in Jimmy Choos and Stacy Keibler in Giuseppe Zanottis, Zelda and these Jeffrey Campbells caught our eye.

Actress Zelda Williams paired her black dress with dramatic heel-less Jeffrey Campbell platform Mary Janes at the Spike TV Video Game Awards, held on December 10, 2011, at Sony Studios in Los Angeles, California (Credit: INFevents)

We’ve blogged about these heel-less shoes many times before. Her Jeffrey Campbell heel-less platform Mary Janes are 6 1/2 inches high, but they look more stable in close-up because you can see how the curved platform extends to align with the back of the heel.

Zelda Williams shows off her feet in Jeffrey Campbell’s Night Walk heel-less platform Mary Janes in black suede (Credit: Tony DiMaio / Startraksphoto)

Some shoeaholics have even uploaded YouTube videos of themselves walking, jumping, and balancing in these heel-less shoes to prove how stable they really are!

Shorter than Michelle Trachtenberg, she wears a size 8 (US) shoe. Zelda Williams’s Jeffrey Campbells are these Mary Janes:

The Jeffrey Campbell “Night Walk” heel-less platform Mary Janes sculpt a dramatic, gravity-defying silhouette in plush black suede with a streamlined ankle strap for balance

Why Heel-Less Shoes Still Matter in Fashion History

Often misunderstood and occasionally polarizing, heel-less shoes occupy a rare space in fashion—where engineering, experimentation, and visual impact collide.

From red-carpet risk-takers to indie footwear disruptors like Jeffrey Campbell, these gravity-defying designs have repeatedly resurfaced whenever style dares to push beyond convention.

Whether embraced for their sculptural drama or debated for their practicality, heel-less silhouettes have left a lasting imprint on celebrity fashion and footwear innovation.