In 2011, this sneaker was labeled “ugly” by The New York Times. Today, it’s everywhere on TikTok. That same year, Isabel Marant introduced the Bekett wedge sneaker — featuring a 7.6 cm hidden heel, an exaggerated tongue, and Velcro straps that completely redefined what a sneaker could be. Neither a heel nor a traditional trainer, it existed in an ambiguous space between the two.

Soon after, Beyoncé and Rihanna wore them in music videos and off-duty looks, pushing the style into the mainstream. At the time, however, the Bekett became one of the most notorious shoes of the era, often dismissed as another piece of 2000s “ugly shoe” excess — overdesigned, disproportionate, and hard to understand. Its early popularity was shaped by Tumblr-era styling: ripped skinny jeans, flannel shirts, and undone hair — a look that defined early-2010s internet culture.

Today, its return feels bolder. Reimagined through the lens of social media and contemporary nostalgia, the Bekett is styled with ultra-mini skirts, hot pants, studs, and animal prints, using the hidden wedge to elongate proportions and amplify attitude. The Bekett isn’t simply trending again — it’s a revival of collective aesthetic memory. What was once mocked as disproportionate has become a tool for Gen Z self-expression, proving once again that the line between ugly and beautiful is always just a matter of timing.

Discover the silhouette that redefined proportions — and make it yours.