What in the toes is going on with shoes right now?

If you’ve ever looked down at your feet and thought, ‘You know what? My toes really deserve a main character moment’, your time has come.

In a development you likely didn’t see coming, some of the most talked-about releases in the world of footwear – from slides and heels to sandals and ballet flats – are putting our piggies firmly in the spotlight.

Sceptical? Look no further than 2026 Copenhagen Fashion Week, where toe-forward shoes have not only been popular in street-style looks, but on the catwalk.

Havaianas’ new Kitten Heel thongs, which feature large caps over the big toe, made their runway debut in the Studio Constance show – unsurprisingly, dividing opinion in the process.

On social media, while some have declared them ‘amazing’, others consider them ‘horrible’. One member of the nine.com.au team queried, “Why is your big toe suddenly a secret?”

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The thong brand’s distinctive new creation is just the latest entry into the canon of weird and wonderful toe-focused footwear.

In the past 18 months, Aussie brand Curtsy Toes has attracted plenty of attention with its Toe Post flats and wedges, which feature four toe separators rather than the single one seen on thongs and thong-style sandals.

The kooky shoes have been a hit with the ‘fashion girlies’, often popping up in style content creators’ photos and videos. They also appear to have inspired the ‘Phases’ high heels by Jeffrey Campbell, similarly featuring five toe dividers.

Curtsy founder Beatrice Taylor told Hypebae the design came about from her search for comfortable and stylish shoes for her wider, larger feet and an interest in the barefoot shoe trend.

“The [barefoot] market was mostly limited to hiking shoes or podiatry sandals. I saw a clear gap and wanted to create shoes I would actually wear, something that felt good but still looked elevated,” she said.

“The toe post wedge began almost as a joke, mixing foot health concepts with a high heel.”

While Curtsy puts the wearer’s bare toes in the spotlight, not all popular toe shoes necessitate a manicure.

Just look at Tabis, the cloven-toed design popularised by Maison Margiela – inspired and named after the traditional 15th century Japanese tabi sock – that’s become a major 2020s fashion statement, whether in the form of a ballet flat, sandal or boot.

Love them or hate them, Tabis are unavoidable, with plenty of brands weaving the style into their ranges. The silhouette has also become a meme unto itself – scroll through TikTok, and you’ll see a wine glass held aloft through a toe split, or a tourist in Japan showing their ‘hoofs’ to a local deer.

Divisive trends aren’t new in the world of fashion, but some have the knack to capture the collective consciousness more than others. Toe-focused shoes certainly fall into that category – though they have as many defenders as they have detractors.

A quick poll of the nine.com.au office revealed plenty of resistance to and confusion over toes becoming the star of the footwear show.

“Disgusting. Horrible. Truly and deeply offensive to my eyes,” Maddi declared of the trend, while Sarah predicted it would not “filter down to the masses”.

However, others are Team Toe.

“Hot take I know, but I’m a big fan. I don’t love all of them, but I have been wanting those [Curtsy] heels for a few years now ... they look incredibly comfy, but they definitely have to be styled right,” Chantelle said.

“I love shoes that are a bit kooky – why not?” Not sure I could pull the Havaianas off, but I’d wear them in theory,” Siena said.

Isabela reasoned that while she likes some “weird toe shoes”, like Tabis, the trend “sometimes goes a tad too far”.

Wherever you stand, one thing is clear: this is one trend that doesn’t toe the line when it comes to fashion standards.