Gisela Cortadellas, 16, Pine Crest School, Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Gisela Cortadellas, 16, says the MSCHF Big Red Boots are “ugly, and I love them for it.”Credit...MSCHF
“I don’t get it.” The minds of countless bystanders sang the same chorus as the MSCHF Big Red Boot entered its way through social media and into street style. MSCHF released their Big Red Boot on Feb. 16, 2023, retailing for $350. The best way to describe the boot would be what a child’s interpretation of a shoe is, using crayons: Round, big, red. Someone at MSCHF decided to give life to the drawing with TPU, rubber and EVA foam. The shoe is unique, almost shiny, and its cartoonish feel makes it look computer-generated.
I’ll admit it. I thought the boot was plain ugly at first too. It’s not aesthetically pleasing, compared to other expensive shoes on the market in 2023. All one color. The silhouette is well, interesting. I even tried on a pair. They’re not comfortable, as you can imagine. How would you even go about styling this thing?
So, why? Why do I love it? Why should you?
Sure, it’s not what we are used to seeing right now. In an era dominated by “fast-fashion,” more and more of these new companies are constantly pumping out and trashing clothing every day. The major fashion houses are derailing as they plunge themselves into cheap materials and boring creative directors who recreate the same collection year after year. Same silhouettes, same patterns, same themes. I’m bored. They are all whispering; the Big Red Boot is shouting.
That’s why I have slowly fallen in love with the boot. It is weird. It is ugly. It is red. It’s not “ready-to-wear,” but why should fashion be?
The best part about this boot is, it worked. Social media forgot that MSCHF is an art and media company that is credited with creating viral and controversial products meant to spark debate. Readers may or may not remember that MSCHF was also a part of the infamous “Satan Shoes” back in 2021, a collaboration with Lil Nas X that landed both contributors in hot water. People went crazy for the Satan Shoes, and people went crazy for the Big Red Boot.
Somehow, these Big Red Boots have stepped their way into street style successfully. MSCHF even released a Crocs version of the Big Red Boot. It is quite the competition between which pair is more audacious.
So, was the original purpose of sparking conversation achieved? Yes. Did people like them? Not necessarily. But it worked. This boot is representative of how art and fashion is treated today; ridiculed and judged. People hate it. People love it. What else is art for, but to be different? The Big Red Boot is just unapologetic about it.
The boots are ugly, and I love them for it.
