Poulaines on the runway19 Images
Newsflash: absurdly long, pointy toes are in. But these aren’t the cunty, pointed kitten heels you’re used to – these proportions are downright Medieval. They strutted down the recent AW25 runways at McQueen, Marc Jacobs, Saint Laurent and Acne Studios, and last year, we saw them at Gyouree Kim and Martine Rose. However, according to writer and shoe chronicler Lars Byrresen Petersen, the first to fully recreate this Medieval style – known as poulaines – was Inferno Atelier, with Doja Cat spotted wearing their take in early 2024. (Petersen also notes that Balenciaga’s “pantashoes”, which first showed at AW17, were an early iteration of this poulaine-esque style).
Extremely long, pointy-toed shoes were a fashion trend in Medieval Europe, particularly for men in the 14th and 15th centuries. ‘Poulaine’ was actually the name for the pointy toe, while ‘cracows’ were the name for the shoe, as they reportedly came from the Polish city of Kraków. To keep the long points stiff, they were sometimes stuffed with moss or structured with whalebone. Lengths varied in ridiculousness: in 1394, one monk even complained that the toes reached “half a yard [45cm] in length,” so long that they had to be tied to the wearer’s shin with a silver chain to enable them to walk.
“It all started with the Black Death,” says fashion historian Kass McGann of Reconstructing History. “Much like how the destruction of the Great War and the Spanish Flu created the ‘devil may care’ environment of the Roaring Twenties, young people in the mid-14th century seem to have thrown caution to the wind and celebrated being alive by dressing in a new, radical way.”
Poulaines boomed at a time when people were taking more fashion risks. Developments in weaving technology had also made fabric cheaper, meaning that people could afford to throw scraps away. “When you can cut a curve and not rely solely on rectilinear pattern pieces, you can better shape clothing to the human body,” explains McGann. Thus, men’s cotes (tunics) tightened and shortened, revealing more of the leg. The poulaines complimented this as they extended the line and made legs look unnaturally long, particularly when worn with similar-coloured leg coverings – not unlike the effect of the Balenciaga pantashoes. “And yes, they are absolutely phallic symbols. The longer, the better,” says McGann. “It was the sports car of that time,” jokes Petersen.
Naturally, a moral panic soon threatened to overpower poulaines. Priests condemned the fashion statement, associating it with sexual promiscuity. According to the London Museum, young 14th-century men would wiggle their toes suggestively, while bells attached to the end meant you were up for sexual exploits. ‘Satan’s claws’ was another name for them, and they apparently inhibited the wearer from kneeling properly to pray.
Young 14th-century men would wiggle their toes suggestively, while bells attached to the end meant you were up for sexual exploits
But it’s not just Medieval Europe that loved a long, pointy toe – they are associated with various regions and cultures. Across the Indian subcontinent, shoes with upturned, curled toes have existed in various forms for centuries, including mojari and khussas. “Initially, the upturned toes of these shoes served a practical purpose: they helped keep dirt and water out as the wearer walked. However, as the region’s various empires flourished, rulers began to create extravagant versions,” says Pakistani fashion blogger Aamir Ali Shah. Similarly to the poulaines, a long toe symbolised wealth due to its unsuitability for labour.
In the 1950s and 60s, British subcultures like the teddy boys and mods adopted the winklepickers, shoes and boots with a sharp point. And Mexico has its ‘botas tribaleras’, cowboy boots with an elongated tip, some so long that they curve up past the knee. They were popular in the 2000s and 2010s in northern Mexico and were associated with the tribal music genre. Over and over, cultures have embraced these elongated, pointy-toed shoes, whether they implied masculinity, wealth or (sub)cultural pride. They’re certainly powerful, as it’s impossible to blend in with shoes like that – but why has fashion been fixated on them as of late?
In the last few years, the Margiela tabis have gone semi-mainstream with a Fashion Nova dupe. So, perhaps poulaines are the new frontier in fashion’s obsession with odd footwear. After all, weird shoes are the mark of a true fashion disciple (or victim). Anyone could wear a nice coat or bag – the ugly shoes are what set you apart.
“I think poulaines are coming back simply because they are extreme, and that’s what is needed for social media,” says Petersen. It’s true that weird accessories have the power to pause the scroll. They stop a dopamine-saturated brain in its tracks as it tries to figure out what exactly it’s looking at. Whereas, back in the 14th century, young people might have been taking these fashion risks to express themselves and their bodies, today we are likely doing it to appease the algorithm.
Footwear like the MSCHF big red boots or Vibram’s FiveFinger shoes instantly grab the eye. In comparison, an outfit may look phenomenal in real life, but won’t necessarily have that same power through a screen. How many impeccably tailored suits have you seen going viral? Social media has made us crave crazier, weirder fashion, exemplified by the popularity of brands like Loewe and its meme-inspired tomato bag, or Balenciaga and its duct tape bangles.
So, it makes sense that we’re now at the point where a Medieval-inspired, absurdly long-toed shoe is in the zeitgeist. “I don’t think we’re going to see anyone walk down the street on a weekday with an actual poulaine,” says Petersen, noting that they’re designed for eccentrics, but could that eccentric possibly be you? “Poulaines are a part of that nose-thumbing against authority that we see again and again throughout history,” adds McGann. So, if you do get any glares or stares in your poulaines, be confident – that’s exactly what’s supposed to happen.
