Gwyneth Paltrow paired one of Prabal Gurung’s more elaborate Fall 2013 dresses with black Tom Ford gladiator sandals for Goop’s summer launch party at Mark’s Club in London’s Mayfair on May 21, 2013.
Standing 5 ft 9 in (175.3 cm) tall and wearing a US size 11 shoe, Paltrow has never shied away from substantial heels. Her Tom Ford sandals were a particularly striking example: the black leather design featured three broad buckled straps, a caged construction, an open toe, and a slim stiletto heel.
The shoes came from Tom Ford’s Spring 2013 collection, which explored buckled footwear in increasingly dramatic proportions, from ankle-height sandals to tall gladiator-style boots. On Paltrow, the structured black leather also provided a sharp counterpoint to the softer draping and ornate surface detail of her Prabal Gurung dress.
Gwyneth Paltrow pairs a printed Prabal Gurung Fall 2013 dress with black Tom Ford triple-buckle gladiator sandals at Goop’s summer launch party at Mark’s Club in London on May 21, 2013 (Credit: Karl Piper / WENN)
Paltrow’s Prabal Gurung Fall 2013 dress combined an ornate baroque-style print on silk charmeuse with sheer chiffon sleeves and a draped, tulip-shaped skirt. She also retained the wide black leather harness-style belt from the runway styling, complete with cutouts and hanging chain details, reinforcing the collection’s military-inspired direction.
Gwyneth Paltrow wears Prabal Gurung’s silk charmeuse dress with its black leather harness-style belt and strappy Tom Ford heels
The Tom Ford sandals also fit a broader footwear pattern in Paltrow’s wardrobe. A little over a year later, she stepped out in Paul Andrew’s black-and-white Tempest gladiator-inspired sandals, another graphic design that framed the foot with multiple straps. Compared with the cleaner two-tone Paul Andrew pair, Ford’s version looked tougher and more hardware-heavy, with its broad leather bands and oversized buckles doing most of the visual work.
That preference for exposed, architectural footwear appears elsewhere in Paltrow’s red-carpet history. Just weeks before the Goop party, she wore Christian Louboutin Dufoura sandals with her sheer-panel Antonio Berardi gown at the Los Angeles premiere of Iron Man 3. Those heels used clear PVC, metallic leather, and a sculptural ankle wrap to create an even more futuristic take on the barely-there sandal.
Her footwear could also swing the other way. At the Paris premiere of Iron Man 3, Paltrow grounded a colorful Erdem ensemble with navy suede Jimmy Choo Anouk pumps, a pointed-toe stiletto with a much cleaner, more traditional silhouette.
For the Goop event, however, the Tom Ford sandals were the more interesting choice. Rather than disappearing beneath the dress, their heavy buckles echoed the black leather belt and helped connect Gurung’s decorative fabric with the harder-edged accessories.
Paltrow kept the rest of the styling restrained, wearing her blonde hair straight and leaving the dress and shoes to carry the look.
Gwyneth Paltrow shows off Tom Ford’s black leather gladiator sandals, featuring three buckled straps, an open toe, and slender stiletto heels
Why Prabal Gurung and Tom Ford Remain Red-Carpet Favorites
Prabal Gurung and Tom Ford represent two distinctly different approaches to celebrity dressing. Gurung is known for expressive color, feminine draping, intricate detailing, and a design philosophy shaped by representation and inclusivity, while Ford built his reputation around sharp tailoring, sensuality, polished glamour, and statement-making accessories.
Their differences are easy to see in how stars wear both designers—especially when the shoes become as important as the clothes.
👠 Explore Prabal Gurung Tom Ford Shoe and Fashion Moments:
- 🎨 Discover Prabal Gurung’s fashion story and celebrity style legacy, from his signature use of color and draping to the stars who have brought his designs to the red carpet.
- ✨ Blake Lively pairs a sparkling Prabal Gurung gown with Christian Louboutin Benedetta sandals, before making an unexpected switch into platform Converse sneakers.
- 🖤 Brit Marling contrasts a white Prabal Gurung Fall 2013 dress with black Valentino Rockstud pumps, showing how sharply defined footwear can ground one of the designer’s more intricate looks.
- 💙 Anne Hathaway brings color contrast to Prabal Gurung with two-tone Aquazzura Gia pumps, pairing vivid heels with an ice-blue halter design by Gurung.
- 💎 Rihanna steps into metallic gold Tom Ford python sandals with a plunging teal Giorgio Armani gown, capturing the glossy glamour of early-2010s evening style.
- ⛓️ Jennifer Lopez makes Tom Ford’s chain-trim sandals the focal point of a sleek dinner look, pairing the statement heels with tailored trousers.
- 💜 Christina Milian goes monochromatic in violet Tom Ford velvet sandals, carrying the rich color and texture from dress to heels.
- ⚓ Kim Kardashian revisits her gold-chain Tom Ford sandals with a custom Balmain rope dress, bringing metallic hardware and nautical detailing together in one accessories-heavy Cannes look.
Gurung’s appeal lies partly in how much personality his clothes retain on the red carpet. His designs can be romantic, colorful, or highly decorative without feeling interchangeable. That quality is apparent in Paltrow’s Fall 2013 dress, where the ornate silk print and fluid skirt are interrupted by sheer sleeves and a wide leather harness-style belt.
Ford supplied the harder edge. His Spring 2013 sandals turned black leather, exposed skin, broad straps, and prominent buckles into part of Paltrow’s outfit’s architecture rather than letting the footwear disappear beneath the dress.
That contrast is what keeps Paltrow’s 2013 Goop look interesting. Gurung brought movement, print, and decoration; Ford brought structure, hardware, and a more assertive silhouette. The black gladiator sandals also picked up the leather of Gurung’s belt, visually connecting two designers with very different approaches to glamour.
More than a decade later, the combination still feels considered: an ornate dress balanced by shoes strong enough not to disappear beneath it.