As Australian summer concludes and the cooler, rain-laden days rear their heads for another year, prepare to be practically stylish through the return of the Moon Boots trend. With thanks to TikTok, the shoe has resurfaced as an ‘It’ item, gaining popularity as the Y2K trend continues to permeate fashion. Yet in the beginning, the original Moon Boot was itself a fad, much like its re-emergence as a trending item in 2022.
Moon Boots originated in Italy in the years following the Apollo 11 moon landing. After witnessing the lunar event in 1969, entrepreneur Giancarlo Zanatta launched the shoes, a space-age style accessory inspired by the shape of the technical garb worn by the astronauts themselves. Zanatta’s company, Tecnica Group, trademarked the Moon Boot name in 1978 and marketed the shoe as après-ski clothing in the early 1970s, a favourite of Paul and Linda McCartney, and the Jet Set. As of 2020, the brand has sold more than 45 million boots globally.
The Moon Boot was resurrected in the early aughts, with the shoes amassing a cult-like following as a retro-futuristic fashion item, which we may be able to attribute – rather unexpectedly – to the Louvre Museum; the institution deemed the Moon Boot a ‘significant design object’ of the 20th century, as the millennium was beckoning. ‘Snow’ boots premiered on runways across 2002, from Marc Jacobs to Pucci to Christian Dior, paired with dresses and skirts, deviating the shoe from its traditional place as a practical, ski shoe.
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Tecnica Group reactively began to collaborate with global brands – including Jimmy Choo and Moncler – to offer a range of new colours and fabrics. And, much like the renaissance experienced in the early 2000s, the Moon Boot is back and it’s more than just a shoe: It’s the crux of an outfit.
Kendall Jenner sported a thigh-grazing, faux fur version of the boot in nothing more than a skimpy bikini. Much the same, Dua Lipa felt festive in her white-and-red Moon Boots paired with a ruched, cream Isa Boulder swimsuit and Hailey Bieber fronted a Victoria’s Secret campaign donning a pink pair of the shoes alongside a mismatched brief and bra.
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Accounting for the re-emergence of the Moon Boot is twofold: It can be attributed to the Y2K resurgence amongst Gen Z TikTok users and also the Miu Miu Fall/Winter 2021 collection. Dubbed ‘alpine lingerie,’ the collection paired puffer coats, balaclavas and jumpsuits alongside chunky, faux fur boots instantly recognisable as a Moon Boot-like silhouette.
@_kinglis im obsessed #fyp #foryou #fashion #clothes #miumiu #miumiufw21 #runway #runwayshows #winterfashion ♬ Frutta E Verdura - Whitearmor & Gud
Miu Miu’s collection tapped into the padded, pastel trends which encapsulate the early 2000s, rounding out the finer details with the long-lost Moon Boot. For Gen Z and younger millennials, it was an homage to childhoods and pre-teen years spent ogling Paris Hilton, Mariah Carey and Madonna clad in their Moon Boots while running errands across cities. They have become a symbol of a now attainable, accepted nostalgia, allowing us to live out ‘winter bimbo’ fantasies.
One step for man, one giant leap in the galvanisation of footwear for decades to come.
Shop our favourite styles below to embrace the Moon Boots trend.
Moon Boots Icon Snow Boot
Chloé x Moon Boot Leather Shearling Snow Boots
Moncler Genius Suede Moon Boot
Moon Boot Faux Fur Boots
