Kim, Kourtney, and Khloé Kardashian joined Kris Jenner at the E! People’s Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on November 10, 2019, with four very different approaches to red-carpet dressing.
The footwear was comparatively restrained. Kim paired her archival Versace gown with barely-there Manolo Blahnik sandals, Khloé chose black Jimmy Choo ankle-strap heels, and Kourtney and Kris relied on understated black shoes beneath heavily embellished tailoring.
Kris Jenner, Kourtney Kardashian, Khloé Kardashian, and Kim Kardashian attend the E! People’s Choice Awards at the Barker Hangar in Santa Monica, California, on November 10, 2019 (Credit: Adriana M. Barraza / WENN)
The family had another reason to celebrate that evening: Keeping Up with the Kardashians won Reality Show of 2019, while Khloé was named Reality TV Star of 2019.
Kim Kardashian: Vintage Versace With Manolo Blahnik Leva Sandals
Kim Kardashian wore an archival Versace Spring/Summer 1999 gown with a pale mint snakeskin-patterned front, fitted corset-style bodice, and contrasting silver metallic panels along the back and sides.
Kim Kardashian wears an archival Versace Spring/Summer 1999 gown combining a pale mint snakeskin pattern with contrasting silver metallic panels
At around 5 feet 2 inches tall, Kim often uses heels to shape her proportions. Here, however, the shoes were deliberately simple rather than towering platforms: she chose her Manolo Blahnik Leva sandals.
The nude-toned suede sandals feature slender straps across the toes and long ties wrapped around the ankles. Their minimal upper leaves most of the foot exposed, keeping the unusual textures and fitted silhouette of the Versace gown as the focus.
A closer look at Kim Kardashian’s nude Manolo Blahnik Leva sandals, featuring delicate toe straps and long wraparound ankle ties
The choice fits a broader pattern in Kim’s shoe wardrobe. She has repeatedly worn minimalist nude and beige sandals when the clothes carry most of the visual interest, including similarly streamlined Gianvito Rossi heels.
Kourtney Kardashian: Glittering Naeem Khan Tailoring With Understated Heels
Kourtney Kardashian took the tailoring route in a black-and-silver Naeem Khan Fall/Winter 2017 pantsuit covered in vertical embellishment. She wore the oversized blazer open over a black bra and paired it with matching high-waisted, wide-leg trousers.
Kourtney Kardashian pairs an exposed black bra with a heavily embellished Naeem Khan Fall/Winter 2017 blazer and matching wide-leg trousers
At 5 feet tall, Kourtney is the shortest Kardashian sister, and YNS has documented her wearing everything from towering platforms to pointed pumps and barely-there sandals.
Her shoes were almost completely hidden by the floor-skimming flared trousers on this occasion. Rather than competing with the dense silver embellishment, the dark footwear effectively disappeared beneath the hem, keeping attention on the strong vertical lines of the Naeem Khan suit.
That styling approach works especially well with wide-leg evening trousers: an understated heel can add height while letting the longer hem and uninterrupted vertical line do most of the visual work.
Khloé Kardashian: LaQuan Smith Sheer Dress With Jimmy Choo Minny Sandals
Khloé Kardashian chose a black LaQuan Smith Spring 2019 dress combining a sheer fitted bodice with an asymmetrical sleeve, draped skirt, and high thigh slit.
Khloé Kardashian pairs a sheer black LaQuan Smith Spring 2019 dress with minimalist black Jimmy Choo sandals at the 2019 E! People’s Choice Awards
Khloé has described herself as 5 feet 10 inches, although comparisons and other reports put her closer to 5 feet 8½ inches (174 cm). Unlike her much shorter sisters Kim and Kourtney, she doesn’t need heels to create the impression of substantial height, but high stilettos remain a recurring part of her wardrobe.
For this look, she wore black Jimmy Choo Minny sandals. The design strips down to the essentials: a slim toe strap, narrow ankle strap, open sides, and a high stiletto heel.
Khloé Kardashian’s black Jimmy Choo Minny sandals use barely-there ankle and toe straps to complement the high slit of her LaQuan Smith dress
The restrained sandals are a useful contrast with some of Khloé’s more dramatic footwear. She has also used sharply pointed stilettos to create a long, uninterrupted line, as seen with her Christian Louboutin So Kate pumps.
Judith Leiber’s Crystal Cash Clutch Adds the Statement Accessory
With the shoes kept minimal, Khloé put the novelty detail in her hand. She carried Judith Leiber Couture’s Stack of Cash clutch, designed to resemble a bundle of $100 bills and covered in hand-set crystals.
Khloé Kardashian carries Judith Leiber Couture’s crystal-covered Stack of Cash clutch, complete with a gold-toned money-band detail
The playful minaudière supplied the sparkle that her simple black Jimmy Choo sandals deliberately avoided, while the monochromatic dress-and-shoe combination kept the overall look cohesive.
Kris Jenner: Alexander McQueen Tailoring With Pointed Black Shoes
Kris Jenner completed the family’s lineup in black Alexander McQueen tailoring. Her long jacket featured sharply defined shoulders, crystal embellishment across the lapels and upper body, and dramatic silver detailing that echoed the sparkle of Kourtney’s Naeem Khan suit.
She kept the rest of the look monochromatic with a black top, floor-length trousers, and black footwear. Kris has long favored polished designer heels and boots; our guide to Kris Jenner’s height, shoe size, and footwear tracks a wardrobe that ranges from pointed boots and pumps to embellished evening sandals.
With so much decoration concentrated around the shoulders, keeping the shoes dark and unobtrusive made sense. The result also illustrates a recurring theme across all four looks: when the dress or tailoring is already highly embellished, a simple shoe can provide the cleaner finish.
Why Minimalist Heels Worked With the Kardashians’ Statement Looks
Despite the very different clothes, the footwear choices followed a similar idea. Kim’s wraparound Manolo Blahnik sandals and Khloé’s Jimmy Choo Minnys expose much of the foot, while Kourtney’s and Kris’ dark shoes recede beneath long trousers.
That balance is what makes barely-there sandals and classic pumps so useful on the red carpet. A slender strap or streamlined toe can finish a heavily embellished dress or suit without introducing another competing detail.
The Kardashian sisters have used that strategy well beyond this event. In another YNS look at Kim, Khloé, and Kourtney Kardashian’s contrasting shoe styles, Kim paired nude Prada ankle-strap sandals with pale tailoring, while Khloé wore pointed Gianvito Rossi pumps with cropped jeans—different outfits built around the same idea: footwear can change the proportions and emphasis of an entire look.