Julia Roberts and Kristen Stewart lead Cannes Red Carpet barefoot protest, defying unwritten rules

Despite the fact that women have experienced prejudice at the Cannes Film Festival because of their lack of high heels, the unwritten heel rule remains an unresolved topic. 

Learn about the events that started the controversy and how famous people like Kristen Stewart, Julia Roberts, and others have bravely rejected this archaic norm, leading to talks about diversity and inclusion in the fashion industry.

One unwritten rule that has plagued the Cannes Film Festival for a long time is that women must wear high heels when walking the red carpet. Vogue reports that, despite festival director Thierry Fremaux’s denial of the rumor, evidence from a number of sources suggests otherwise.

In 2015, allegations surfaced that the ‘Carol’ premiere denied entry to a group of ladies in their fifties due to their shoes being inadequately tall. Despite her eventual admission, Asif Kapadia’s wife initially faced entry denial to the premiere of his “Amy” that year.

Since the scandal broke, several famous people have walked the Cannes red carpet wearing flat shoes in protest of the so-called rule. The following is a list of actors who disregarded the no-heel rule.

When Julia Roberts’ 2016 film Money Monster premiered at the Palais des Festivals, she took off her heels on the way up the stairs.

At Cannes, Kristen Stewart has repeatedly broken convention. During a photocall for ‘Café Society’ in 2016, she stepped out with her bare feet, and in 2018, she took off her Christian Louboutins for an image at the ‘BlacKkKlansman’ premiere, saying, “If you’re not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, then you can’t ask me either.”

Security personnel momentarily stopped Claudia Eller, editor-in-chief of Variety, at the 2019 Cannes Film Festival for not wearing high heels, suggesting that the policy of women only wearing high heels was in effect. However, the issue of ethnic representation on the red carpet became even more controversial in 2022 when security personnel first stopped Canadian filmmaker Kelvin Redvers for wearing traditional moccasins.