Charlize Theron’s latest Paris turn on Friday put the flip-flop on new ground: a padded, square-toe sandal slipped under a Givenchy suit layered with geometric silver chains.
While much of the attention went to her bare, chain-draped torso — the suit worn open to showcase a harness of geometric silver links — it was the footwear that pushed the look into unexpected territory. The thong sandals, built with an inflated strap curving across the toe, brought the marshmallow detailing that has defined luxury “puffy” shoes over the past few years.
The rest of her outfit leaned on volume and precision. Theron wore a slouch-cut, double-breasted white suit, its easy drape broken by the armor of chains. Oversized sunglasses and straight-parted hair completed the styling, a clean backdrop for the sharp interplay of tailoring, jewelry and sandal.
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If the pairing felt unconventional, it fits Theron’s steady gravitation toward comfort-driven shoes. At her Africa Outreach Project fundraiser in Los Angeles this summer, she chose intricate black flats, and days later accented an office-ready look on the “Today” show with knotted Bottega Veneta sandals. Even her red-carpet heels — like Chloé’s strappy Janis pumps in June — tend toward grounded shapes and wearable construction.
That instinct now places her inside one of 2025’s defining debates: the designer flip-flop. Hailey Bieber extended The Row’s $890 City sandal into fall this week in Los Angeles, while Kendall Jenner wore the same style on repeat in New York. Blackpink’s Rosé and Jonathan Bailey have also pushed the silhouette into front-row and tailored contexts, recasting the thong sandal as a luxury staple rather than a beach default.
Against the backdrop of Givenchy’s spring 2026 show, Theron’s sandals made a precise point. For an actress whose style toggles between sharp red-carpet stiletto and off-duty flat, the puffy thong landed in between.
