Why chunky velcro sandals are the must-have fashion staple of 2020

Chunky platform sandals with velcro straps that once sent shivers through the fashion industry have been declared the ‘must-have’ shoe of 2020. 

In a rare fusion of fashion and functionality, style insiders turned shoes commonly worn by long-distance hikers and middle-aged fathers into the perfect accessory for skirts, denim shorts, jeans and dresses.

Even Chanel gave the style its esteemed seal of approval in 2019 by releasing $1,250 (AUD) velcro sandals in a rainbow of colours including black, purple, pink and cobalt blue, which have naturally been seen on some of the biggest names in fashion. 

British model turned designer Alexa Chung wore a black pair with a beige trouser suit in 2019 and Italy’s reigning Instagram queen Chiara Ferragni styled a purple pair with pink cargo pants and a floral top during lockdown at her Milanese penthouse in March. 

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Online fashion magazine L’Officiel dubbed Chanel’s ‘dad slides’ the ‘must-have’ of 2020 while Hello! hailed them this year’s ‘unexpected summer hit’. 

The French fashion house’s range is sold out everywhere but there’s plenty of quality dupes to be found in Australia.

Close imitations include Dr Martens $199.99 ‘Voss’ sandals and Melissa ‘Cosmic’ sandals which are currently reduced from $139.95 to $97 on The Iconic. 

The trend for ‘ugly but cool’ sandals started with the 2015 comeback of Birkenstocks, whose ergonomic design has become a cult classic for fashionistas almost two and a half centuries since it was founded in Germany in 1774.

But it wasn’t until November 2019, with the spectacular resurrection of popular yet ‘daggy’ Maseurs, that ugly sandals really exploded in Australia. 

Chemists and online retailers restocked the sensible slip-ons and thousands of millennials took note, flooding Instagram with carefully curated photos of the $56.99 shoes.

Maseurs were created in 1989 by Sydney designer Gabriel Eber to help people suffering from chronic foot pain.

Mr Eber claimed many ‘aches, pains and circulation problems’ were linked to nerve endings in the feet, and made it his mission to design a shoe that would alleviate those issues.

The sandal correctly positions feet to relieve pressure on the knees, hips and back region – just like a built-in physiotherapist – and while once seen as a ‘dad shoe’, is now a stylish statement just like the Birkenstock.

And they’re not the only practical piece to be reborn as a must-have accessory. 

Chunky zip-up fleeces that once epitomised fashion failure are this winter’s hottest style of outerwear.

Previously confined to the wardrobes of middle-aged men, the practical – and until recently, downright ‘daggy’ – jumpers have been hijacked by fashion industry giants who transformed them into a must-have staple for stylish women.

The versatile design, which is characterised by zips that stop one quarter or halfway down the front of the jumper, looks equally chic paired with leather skirts, relaxed-fit ‘mum’ jeans or skintight split-leg pants.

‘Half-zip’ knits have been worn by Hollywood icons and catwalk megastars – even becoming a firm favourite of the ‘world’s most beautiful woman’, Bella Hadid.