Tracee Ellis Ross Tries the "Ugly" Shoe Trend With "Shapeshifter" Heels

We can always count on Tracee Ellis Ross to take fashionable risks, and her outfit at the Amazon NewFronts event in New York City was no exception. On May 3, the actor dressed to impress in a pair of white Dries Van Noten pumps with a square leather toe that curved so that half of her foot remained exposed. "SHAPESHIFTER" she captioned an Instagram gallery showing off her look as she posed by a large windowsill to highlight her asymmetrical heels. Styled by Karla Welch, Ross wore the statement-making shoes with a structural JW Anderson jumpsuit so that her entire outfit emphasized unique shapes and careful construction.

The "ugly" shoe trend has maintained popularity through the years, not because people legitimately believe their shoes are ugly, but because fun, standout footwear can be trickier to style. Ross isn't the first star to dip her toes (a few of them anyway) in and give us a master class, with Rita Ora wearing platform UGG slides and everyone from Gabrielle Union to Ziwe stepping out in Miu Miu's polarizing thong boots.

When it comes to footwear, Ross has always chosen to take a walk on the wild side. At Paris Fashion Week last year, she wore foldover denim heels with material bunched all around her ankles. Even bolder, she attended the 2021 NAACP Image Awards wearing towering Schiaparelli platforms complete with gold-tipped toes. We can't wait to see which controversial shoe she struts in next.