At a British Vogue and Self-Portrait party at The Maine Mayfair in London on October 28, 2021, Irina Shayk kept her evening look almost entirely black, pairing a floor-length Self-Portrait rib-knit dress with snakeskin-effect T-strap sandals finished with curved spool heels.
The sandals provided the more intricate element of the otherwise minimalist combination. Their crisscross straps, textured finish, and hourglass-shaped heels contrasted with the clean silhouette of the Spring 2022 dress without introducing another color. At about 5 feet 9 inches with a US shoe size 9, Shayk has built a varied footwear wardrobe; her shoe choices range from sculptural heels to boots and flats.
Irina Shayk wears a black Self-Portrait maxi dress with strappy sandals at the British Vogue and Self-Portrait party at The Maine Mayfair in London on October 28, 2021 (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Irina Shayk Wears a Black Self-Portrait Rib-Knit Maxi Dress
Shayk wore a black maxi dress from Self-Portrait’s Spring 2022 collection. The floor-length rib-knit design fit through the body and featured a halter neckline with delicate mesh straps and a small cutout at the bust.
The ribbed texture gave the otherwise minimalist dress more definition, while its gently flared hem balanced the close-fitting silhouette.
Irina Shayk wears a fitted black rib-knit halter maxi dress from Self-Portrait’s Spring 2022 collection (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Rather than adding statement jewelry, Shayk left the neckline and mesh straps unobstructed, keeping the emphasis on the dress’s texture and silhouette.
For her beauty look, she wore minimal makeup with matte brown lipstick and pulled her hair into a sleek updo.
Irina Shayk pairs her minimalist Self-Portrait look with matte brown lipstick and a sleek updo (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Speaking to Vogue UK about getting ready for the event, Shayk described her preferred aesthetic as “minimalist modern” and emphasized comfort when choosing eveningwear.
“I love wearing party looks that let me feel at ease… this look lets me focus on having a great time.”
Her restrained approach here also contrasts with the heavier footwear that frequently anchors Shayk’s off-duty looks, from combat boots and lug soles to retro sneakers.
Irina Shayk wears matte brown lipstick with a sleek pulled-back updo, leaving the intricate mesh straps of her black Self-Portrait dress unobstructed (Credit: Mega / WENN)
Her Snakeskin-Effect T-Strap Sandals Feature Curved Spool Heels
The footwear added the strongest structural detail to Shayk’s outfit. She wore black strappy sandals with a snakeskin-effect texture, intersecting straps across the front, and a central T-strap extending up the foot.
The sandals were set on approximately 4-inch spool heels, a heel shape recognizable by its curved, hourglass-like profile: wider where the heel meets the shoe, narrower through the middle, and wider again toward the base.
That shape gave the sandals a distinctly different profile from a conventional straight stiletto. The embossed snakeskin effect supplied another point of contrast, setting the scaled-looking surface of the footwear against the vertical ribbing of the knit dress.
Because the entire outfit remained black, much of its visual interest came from those differences in texture and construction: ribbed knit and fine mesh above, then embossed straps and curved heels below.
Irina Shayk’s black sandals feature a snakeskin-effect finish, crisscross and T-straps, and approximately 4-inch spool heels (Credit: Mega / WENN)
The delicate sandals also show a different side of Shayk’s footwear wardrobe. Her street style often leans toward substantial soles and menswear-inspired shoes, including Burberry loafers worn with logo socks, while her evening looks can shift toward much sharper silhouettes, such as the pointed-toe pumps she paired with black Burberry tailoring later in 2021.
Why Spool Heels Stand Out From Classic Stilettos and Block Heels
Named for their resemblance to an old-fashioned sewing spool, spool heels taper inward through the middle before widening toward the base. Shayk’s sandals show how that unusual shape can make an otherwise minimal shoe more distinctive.
A spool heel curves inward through the middle before widening again at the base, creating its distinctive hourglass shape
Compared with a straight stiletto, a spool heel has a broader base and a more sculptural profile. Although the silhouette has historical roots, designers continue to reinterpret it across contemporary pumps, sandals, and boots.
That versatility is easy to see in celebrity styling. Spool heels can appear delicate beneath an evening dress, sharpen a pointed pump, or add an unexpected architectural element to a much heavier boot.
👠 Explore Spool Heels Sculptural Shoe Shapes:
- ⌛ Learn what defines a spool heel and how it differs from other heel shapes — The curved, hourglass-like silhouette narrows through the middle before widening again toward the base, giving pumps, sandals, and boots a distinctive architectural profile.
- 🖤 See Dove Cameron’s black patent pumps with sculptural spool heels — Her pointed-toe shoes brought an unexpected curved heel to an otherwise classic black pump silhouette at Carolina Herrera’s New York Fashion Week show.
- 🍷 Lily Collins goes monochrome in merlot pumps with towering spool heels — The curved heels gave her matching Nina Ricci suit and pumps a more distinctive finish during her Emily in Paris press tour.
- 🏍️ Katy Perry takes the spool heel in a tougher direction with Vetements x New Rock biker boots — The white leather boots combine padded biker detailing and upturned toes with dramatic 4-inch spool heels.
- ✨ Dakota Fanning pairs Manolo Blahnik Racita sandals with a jade-green dress — Her metallic gold slingbacks feature slender straps and 3.5-inch spool heels, showing how the curved silhouette translates naturally to evening sandals.