Keds made a surprise appearance on the runway at New York Fashion Week, thanks to Puppets & Puppets.
While kicking off Fashion Month, designer Carly Mark’s art-focused label featured an array of flat white Keds sneakers worn by multiple models in her spring 2024 show. The round-toed style, a signature of the American athletic brand for decades, featured smooth canvas uppers with thin laces and rubber soles. Mark gave the simple shoe an alternatively punky Puppets edge by covering their toes with red lipstick kisses, a DIY touch that provided a sharp contrast — and is one that brand fans can easily replicate at home, if they so choose.
The shoes also contrasted the other footwear in Marks’ lineup, seen on the gymnasium-turned-runway at the Immaculate Conception Church in New York City’s East Village. Aside from its kiss-covered Keds sneakers, the Puppets and Puppets shoe lineup primarily featured smooth black leather pumps. The formal, pointed-toe styles — all complete with thin heels, and some topped with newsprint-like strips for a quirky flair — were the polar shoe opposite of the aforementioned Keds, displaying the wide-ranging contrast that can exist in one’s shoe wardrobe.
What does one wear with kiss-covered Keds? The results varied on the ghost-inspired runway, encompassing pieces including sleeveless black floral and silky red dresses, a draped white puff-sleeved maxi dress and a boxy taupe button-down with matching wide-legged trousers.
Outside of its collection offerings, the show also featured a viral moment from its array of small waltzing fluffy cat robots, which danced in circles to greet guests as they entered the gymnasium — some even carrying minimal versions of Puppets & Puppets’ popular cookie-adorned handbags.
NYFW was held in New York City in September, marking the start of Fashion Month. The spring 2024 season saw a calendar of fashion shows and presentations from top brands like Ralph Lauren, Christian Siriano and Proenza Schouler, as well as independent labels including Wiederhoeft, Collina Strada and Elena Velez. The occasion featured numerous parties and activations from brands like J.Crew, Target, Aldo, MCM and more.
About the Author:
Aaron Royce is the Digital Editor for Footwear News, where he writes stories on trending news, celebrity style, collaborations and in-depth profile interviews. Prior to joining Footwear News, Aaron wrote and interned for publications including PAPER, Grazia and the Daily Front Row. He currently holds a B.S. in mass communications from Virginia Commonwealth University.
