In Los Angeles on October 12, 2020, Emma Roberts was photographed running errands in a maternity outfit grounded by one of Gucci’s most recognizable shoes: the black leather Princetown horsebit slipper.
She paired the backless loafers with an oversized black T-shirt, a high-waisted red-and-black polka-dot chiffon midi skirt with a lace-trimmed hem, and a relaxed longline black velvet coat. A leopard-print Tod’s tote added another pattern without competing with the simple black Gucci shoes.
Emma Roberts wears black Gucci Princetown horsebit slippers with a red polka-dot midi skirt, black velvet coat, Tod’s leopard-print tote, and Garrett Leight x Clare V. sunglasses while running errands in Los Angeles on October 12, 2020 (Credit: Instar / WENN)
The loose proportions made sense for her maternity street style, but each piece was carefully defined. The red chiffon midi skirt brought color and movement to the otherwise black outfit, while the velvet coat added a softer texture and longer line.
Pregnant Emma Roberts pairs an oversized black T-shirt with a red-and-black polka-dot midi skirt and long black velvet coat
Roberts accessorized with Garrett Leight x Clare V. “Nouvelle” sunglasses, a delicate gold crescent-moon pendant necklace, stacking rings, and a small gold nose ring. She also wore a red patterned face mask, a detail that firmly places the street-style sighting in 2020.
Emma Roberts accessorizes with Garrett Leight x Clare V. sunglasses, delicate gold jewelry, and a red patterned face mask
Emma Roberts Wears Black Gucci Princetown Horsebit Slippers
The key footwear piece was Gucci’s original Princetown slipper in smooth black leather, finished with gold-tone horsebit hardware, a slim leather sole, and a low 10mm heel. Its open back gave Roberts the ease of a mule while retaining the recognizable upper of Gucci’s traditional horsebit loafer.
Introduced for Gucci’s Fall 2015 collection under Alessandro Michele, the Princetown reworked one of the house’s best-known footwear signatures as a backless shoe. Michele retained the horsebit hardware and elongated loafer shape while removing the heel counter to create an easier slip-on silhouette.
Early Princetown styles included fur-lined versions that drew much of the attention around the shoe’s debut, but the plain black leather model Roberts wore became one of the design’s most versatile variations.
Emma Roberts wears Gucci Princetown slippers in smooth black leather with the style’s signature gold-tone horsebit hardware and open-back construction
How the Gucci Princetown Reworked the 1953 Horsebit Loafer
The Princetown’s defining detail predates the shoe itself by more than six decades. Gucci introduced its horsebit loafer in 1953, using metal hardware modeled on an equestrian snaffle bit. The loafer became one of the house’s signature footwear designs, and Roberts herself has worn Gucci’s traditional horsebit loafers with her off-duty outfits. A Gucci horsebit loafer entered the Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection in 1985.
Michele’s 2015 Princetown kept that recognizable hardware but removed the traditional heel counter. The result preserved the loafer’s visual identity while changing how the shoe was worn.
Roberts’ version shows the design in its simplest form: smooth black leather, gold-tone horsebit hardware, an elongated toe, slim sole, and minimal 10mm heel.
Black leather Gucci Princetown slippers feature gold-tone horsebit hardware, an open-back silhouette, and a low heel
The connection between Gucci’s two designs is easy to see: the Princetown preserves the metal horsebit and loafer-shaped upper associated with the 1953 shoe while replacing the conventional closed heel with a slip-on back.
That combination helped make the Princetown a recurring celebrity shoe after its 2015 debut. Roberts chose the understated black leather version, while other wearers have appeared in white leather, floral, studded, and fur-lined variations.
👠 Explore Emma Roberts, Gucci Princetown Horsebit Shoe Style:
- 🖤 Emma Roberts’ Gucci horsebit loafer outfits show how she has also worn the house’s traditional closed-back loafer, making them a useful comparison with the backless Princetown.
- 👞 Emma Roberts’ Nicholas Kirkwood mule outfits highlight another side of her off-duty footwear, including pointed Beya mules styled with relaxed separates.
- 📏 Gucci shoe size chart and fit guide explains Gucci sizing for men and women, including useful guidance for shoppers considering loafers, mules, and other horsebit styles.
- 🤍 Lucy Hale’s white Gucci Princetown mule slippers show how the backless loafer can sharpen a simple denim-and-sweater outfit while remaining easy enough for off-duty wear.
- 🌼 Kirsten Dunst’s black Gucci Princetown loafers pair the horsebit slipper with a floral dress, showing how the same shoe works with a softer, more feminine outfit.
- 🛫 LeAnn Rimes’ Gucci Princetown fur mules at LAX highlight the fur-lined variation that became closely associated with the shoe’s early popularity.
- 🎬 A$AP Rocky’s Gucci Princetown fur slides show how Alessandro Michele’s backless horsebit design also crossed into celebrity menswear.
- ✨ Bella Thorne’s studded Gucci Princetown mules offer a more embellished interpretation of the familiar backless horsebit silhouette.