Why is the fashion world obsessed with toes?

During the couture shows at Paris Fashion Week this past January, luxury fashion house Schiaparelli unveiled a new, instantly adored collection of gilded corsets, cosmos-inspired designs and dramatic black-and-white silhouettes. But each runway look was offset with a curious sartorial detail: either a pair of black pumps with gold dagger-like toenails (dubbed "claw couture" on Schiaparelli's Instagram) or a manicured set of toenails carved into a pair of sling backs.

Last summer, the brand's footwear had a similar flourish, featuring a round toe cap displaying five sculptural-looking extremities dipped in gold lacquer -- most recently worn by Doja Cat at the 2022 Billboard Music Awards on Sunday.

 Over the past year, a range of high fashion designers have been turning to toes for inspiration. In May 2021, New York cool-girl label Khaite debuted its "Berlin slingbacks" -- a now-sold out pair of midi-heel sandals which cover only the wearer's big toe. Milanese brand AVAVAV has meanwhile gone viral for its monster-like toes, from demonic-looking "claw finger" mules worn by Ezra Miller to Doja Cat's unforgettable chicken feet thigh-highs worn to the 2021 Video Music Awards. AVAVAV's newest release, "very slimy feet" -- a pair of lime green, over-the-knee boots completed with four enormous toes that proved popular despite retailing for nearly $2,000.