How Tory Burch’s pierced mule became the IYKYK footwear of choice for 2024
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At the moment of writing this, I have 14 piercings. Two of them I received at birth—my first set of stud earrings. The next two came during college during a period when I was feeling rebellious. The following eight have arrived one by one throughout the years, mostly as a result of working in fashion and having jewelry brands invite me to parties with a piercing station. But the most recent two are the most interesting because they’re on my feet and I can slip them off whenever I’d like.
If you are a fashion editor or even just someone remotely interested in fashion, then you might know what I’m getting at: the Tory Burch pierced mule wedge. The shoe was first seen on the Spring 2024 runway and looks exactly like it sounds, with a cutout near the top of the foot and chunky toe-ring hardware that makes your feet look pierced. There are a handful of other iterations, like slingbacks, sandals, and pointed-toe mules.
The shoe was a hit from the moment it walked down the runway. Like many of the guests at the show, I noticed it immediately—and I proceeded to think about it for days, maybe even weeks, afterward. It was one of those items from the blur of fashion month that truly sticks with you. Once it became available in stores, all the most stylish people I knew bought a pair. They became an IYKYK item, something you’d spot on the streets of New York and think, “That person gets it.”
Tory Burch Spring/Summer 2024
The shoes are easy to love because, like a good piercing, they just look cool. The appeal of making a permanent hole in your ear is that it represents a sexy, unruly tendency. It may no longer be a punk calling card, but it’s still a signifier that you like to shake things up a little bit.
Sometimes, when I throw on a dress or a skirt, I struggle to truly identify with the look if it feels too straightforward and delicate. Slipping on these Tory heels, which instantly add a little edge, makes even the simplest of pieces feel more me. It gives me that same rush I had when I was 17, away at college, feeling spicy and hungover and in desperate need of not one but two on-a-whim helix ear piercings.
I had to get ready in a rush and threw on my favorite Rixo dress and vintage Miu Miu bag, but the outfit still needed a little something—and the Tory Burch pierced mules gave it the oomph it needed.
A pierced shoe and the Sofia Coppola archive book perfectly encapsulate the fun of rebellious girlhood to me.
Even though we are living in a more buttoned-up era, piercings will always represent the spirit of a punk subculture (one that could very well be inching back at some point soon, given the unprecedented cultural and political moment). There aren’t many things that make me feel like a naughty teen again, but these do—and that’s the kind of nostalgia that’s hard to bottle.
Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a63012277/tory-burch-pierced-shoe/
A Chopova Lowena chain necklace up top and a pierced Tory Burch mule on the bottom just feels right—and this simple tank top and plaid skirt combo are better for it.
But while they feel edgier than your typical mule, there’s also something kind of funny about walking around in 2024 as a full-fledged adult with two glorified toe rings. It’s saucy in the least serious of ways, like you’re not actually that badass but you’re also not really trying to be. You’re just having a little bit of fun—and maybe getting into the right amount of trouble.
Source: https://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/trends/a63012277/tory-burch-pierced-shoe/
