Shoes once dubbed ‘the ugliest shoe in the world’ have become hugely popular again, thanks in part to Taylor Swift.
The 34-year-old pop star was spotted out and about with the girls this past weekend in New York City with her pal Gigi Hadid in a pair of Vivienne Westwood snakeskin heeled ankle boots.
When you look at photos of Taylor from the dinner, your eyes are immediately drawn to her towering, patterned lace-up heels, which bear a striking resemblance to Jeffrey Campbell’s eye-catching Lita boots.
The Lita boot became hugely popular among the rich and famous in the early 2010s.
It has been spotted on the feet of stars including Lindsay Lohan, Demi Lovato, Jessica Alba, Ashley Benson and Ashley Tisdale.
Shoes once dubbed ‘the ugliest shoe in the world’ have become hugely popular again, thanks in part to Taylor Swift
The 34-year-old pop star was spotted out and about with her girlfriend Gigi Hadid this past weekend in a pair of Vivienne Westwood snakeskin heeled ankle boots
Fashion bloggers and online influencers raved about the chunky shoe, which had a two-inch platform and was two inches wide. It came in a variety of eye-catching patterns and bright colors.
But not everyone was a fan.
In reality, The daily beast called the boot “the world’s ugliest shoe” in a 2013 article.
“Simply put, the shoe looks like an elephant on your foot,” the outlet wrote.[It’s] the Clydesdale hoof of modern footwear.’
According to the publication, the $160 boots first introduced in 2010 and initially only came in one color: bright yellow.
The boots, named after Lita Ford, the singer of The Runaways, were launched after the online fashion site Nasty Gal started promoting them.
According to The Daily Beast, within three years, 164 different colors and patterns were available and 160,000 pairs of the shoe had been sold worldwide.
There were Litas with metal spikes, Litas with an American flag on them, and a few Litas decorated with rhinestones.
Taylor’s towering, patterned lace-up heels bear a striking resemblance to Jeffrey Campbell’s polarizing Lita boots (pictured).
The Lita boot became hugely popular among the rich and famous in the early 2010s, and was spotted on the feet of stars including Lindsay Lohan (left) and Ashley Tisdale (right)
Fashion bloggers often raved about the chunky shoe – which had a two-inch platform and a five-inch feel, and came in a range of dramatic patterns and bright colours. Ashley Benson is seen
The brand even released a line of all-white Lita boots, especially for brides who want to wear them on their wedding day.
“Every season new materials or heel treatments were added,” said Sharon Blackburn, a former Jeffrey Campbell employee The cut in 2020, as I look back on the phenomenon.
‘We had versions in lace, glitter, leopard, snake, clear vinyl, paint splatter, neon, glow-in-the-dark, fur, plaid, patchwork, laser-cut daisies and die-cut stars.’
Earlier this year, Jeffrey Campbell announced that the Lita shoes would officially be relaunching.
Only five of the 164 styles are back on shelves, including pairs in black, blue and apricot, a shade of brown.
Additionally, the boot is available in ‘blue cosmic’, a spatial pattern that is sold out in almost every size, and in black with metal spikes.
But not everyone was a fan. The Daily Beast even called the boot “the world’s ugliest shoe” in a 2013 article. Vanessa Hudgens wears the boots in 2012
Within three years, 164 different colors and patterns were available, including Litas with an American flag printed on them and a few decorated with rhinestones
The first four options cost $195, while the spiked version costs $240.
“We decided to bring back our iconic Litas and other styles from the early 2010s for our latest collection because we saw the resurgence of these trends on the horizon… rejecting modernity and embracing the indie sleaze of Jeffrey Campbell,” the company told The guard in a statement.
While Taylor isn’t wearing a pair of Lita boots, hers certainly resemble the iconic shoe.
And every time the Cruel Summer singer wears something, the product is immediately put in the spotlight.
Last year, she was photographed wearing a pair of $673 Rebirth jeans, and they sold out online within hours.