Expensive fishnet flats are the reigning ugly shoes of the summer

Sandals and flip-flops are usually the most popular summer shoes. But this year, fashion fans can't stop wearing fishnet flats that show their feet.

• Fishnet flats have become the trendiest and most divisive shoe of the summer.
• Popular pairs of the see-through style are often bold in color and cost hundreds of dollars.
• Some brands like The Row have even sold out of their controversial netted footwear.

Like it or not, everyone is showing their feet this summer. And no, I'm not talking about people wearing sandals or flip-flops.

Instead, fishnet flats have quickly emerged as the style of the season.

The trendy shoes are essentially an extension of ballet flats, which came back into style around 2023 and are still going strong.

They can also be extremely expensive — over $800 per pair, in some cases — and widely divisive. Though many fashion fans love them, some people online are begging style influencers to "put their toes away."

Fishnet flats are everywhere

The phrase "fishnet flats" might bring to mind an image from the early 2000s: backless, mesh flats with floral embellishments that you could find at the dollar store.

That's arguably where the netted style first began.

But in 2023, fashion house Alaïa brought something new to the table: shoes that merged the classic shape of ballet flats with the mesh of old-school slip-ons. The brand also added thin, solid straps across each foot.

After its $890 flats launched around April of that year, fashion fans flooded Alaïa's Instagram with comments asking for a restock.

Celebrities like Sofia Richie also began sporting them around that time.

But it wasn't until a year later that fishnet flats took over the fashion landscape, with numerous brands suddenly selling their own versions.

Reformation's website offers $268 mesh flats, The Row sells $890 jelly versions, and Bottega Veneta designed $1,250 fishnet shoes lined with leather.

You might need some luck to buy the above styles, though.

The Row, for example, has sold out of fishnet flats on its website and across multiple luxury shopping platforms like Fwrd. Many sizes of fishnet shoes from Bottega Veneta and Alaïa are also unavailable.

Consumer interest matches those sales. The phrase "mesh flats" reached an all-time peak in Google searches in May (as many fashion fans prepared their summer wardrobes) and has remained high in the following months.

So what's making these shoes so popular, and why do people love them?

For one thing, they're everywhere. Brands like Alaïa have heavily marketed fishnet shoes in recent weeks, and searching "fishnet flats" and "mesh flats" on TikTok results in dozens of videos — ranging from reviews to styling tips — with thousands of views each.

Celebrities like Anne Hathaway and Jennifer Lawrence also continue to wear the shoes, potentially inspiring fans to drop hundreds on designer pairs.

But mostly, fashion fans appreciate that the shoes are comfortable and practical while also being stylish.

Shloka Sensarma, a content creator who posts about luxury fashion, told Business Insider that she's "such a fan" of mesh styles — particularly those from Alaïa.

"Don't knock 'em until you try 'em," she said. "You might look at them and think they're weird or strange. But when you put them on, you realize they look great with pretty much everything. I wear mine all the time. They are such good quality."

The evolution of 'summer troll shoes'

Of course, not everyone is on board with people wearing shoes that show feet. On websites like Reddit, some fashion fans have argued that fishnet flats, in particular, are unappealing and unhygienic.

"I'm not a huge fan of them," model and fashion fan Miah Divita told BI about fishnet flats. "I grew up seeing them as slippers you wear around the house, so wearing them outside is a little ironic to me. I also don't like feet, so I dislike that you can see through them."

But Roni Brunn, an accessories designer and fashion content creator, told BI that the buzz these criticisms create can also benefit fashion brands.

"There's a subgenre of status-symbol shoes that I call 'summer troll shoes.' They're very impractical," she said.

Past examples include Yeezy's foam runners in June 2020, Balenciaga's heeled Crocs in June 2021, and Loewe's balloon heels, which were often spotted last year at Fashion Week events around the world.

This year, Brunn said, The Row's Mara flats made from jelly-like plastic fit the bill.

They might be controversially cute with jeans and a T-shirt, but wearing them in the rain, for example, could be a pretty bad idea.

"These shoes show off that you can spend money on a joke — on something that is deeply unserious and that will look offensive to a lot of people with so-called good taste," Brunn told BI. "There are different ways of expressing status, and all of them depend on your audience."

If you're an influencer with fans who are quick to comment on "ugly" shoes, that might draw your eye to unconventional flats. On the other hand, you might skip this fad if your family, friends, and coworkers are the only ones to see your shoes.

However, discourse around unconventional shoes like these fishnet pieces can make even the most skeptical consumers question their taste.

On TikTok, many have described fishnet flats as "ugly cute" and sought opinions on whether they should purchase a pair — a phenomenon seen previously with shoes like Birkenstocks, Crocs, and UGGs.

Only time will tell if mesh styles stick around after this trend cycle. But as Brunn pointed out, brands always seem to have a new "ugly shoe" on the way.

And let's be real — whatever's next could be much worse than fishnet flats.