Source: Getty / Loic Venance [1]
Kristen Stewart made headlines at the Cannes Film Festival [2] this week for taking her shoes off on the red carpet. And if you look back into the archives, you'll realise she did almost the same thing in 2016 [3] when she swapped her black Christian Louboutins for blue Vans sneakers. Her decision is not just about comfort — it's about making a statement against the Cannes policy that requires women to wear high heels. Although the policy is more of an unspoken rule [4] and isn't etched in stone like other parts of the Cannes dress code [5], it's become clear that women wearing heels are more welcome than those wearing flats.
In 2015, several women were reportedly denied access to the Carol premiere [6] for wearing flats. Emily Blunt [7] spoke out at the time, saying, "We shouldn't wear high heels. That's just my point of view — I love Converse sneakers. It's very disappointing." Kristen Stewart echoed that sentiment [8] and said, "It has become really obvious that if [a man and I] were walking the red carpet together and someone stopped me and said, 'Excuse me, young lady, you're not wearing heels. You cannot come in.' Then [I'm going to say], 'Neither is my friend. Does he have to wear heels?'" Julia Roberts also got in on the action [9] when she ditched her shoes to run up the stairs, although that could've been for pure comfort.
Source: Getty / George Pimentel [10]
While high heels may be a welcome accessory for many women as they wear elaborate gowns [11] — some of the best fashion can be found on the Cannes red carpet [12] — others may want to wear flats for a number of reasons, including medical requirements.