Why Celebs Never Wear Flats To The Cannes Film Festival (Except For A Rebellious Few)

The Cannes Film Festival is one of the most prestigious events in cinema. As such, all guests are expected to dress to the nines (although The List has named some celebs as the worst-dressed from the Cannes Film Festival). But in addition to the festival's official dress code, there are some unwritten rules. One such rule is that, historically, women have been expected to wear tall high heels at the event. That's why you almost never see Hollywood's leading ladies wearing flats at Cannes. Over the years, however, a rebellious few have bucked this tradition.

In 2018, Kristen Stewart famously took off her stiletto heels to walk the Cannes red carpet barefoot. Stewart did something similar at the 2016 festival, ditching her heels for a pair of Vans. That same year, Julia Roberts and Sasha Lane skipped shoes and were barefoot for some Cannes festivities. But Stewart might have had the most to say about her decision, calling out the heels-only preference for being outdated in a 2017 interview with The Hollywood Reporter. "If you're not asking guys to wear heels and a dress, you cannot ask me either," she said.

Meanwhile, Jennifer Lawrence had something of a fashion faux pas when she wore flip-flops on the Cannes red carpet in 2023. However, this was less of a statement, and more of a misunderstanding. "I had no idea until it like, came out that there was a whole controversy with people wearing flats, or like, walking down the red carpet barefoot," Lawrence told Entertainment Tonight. "I had no clue. My shoes were a size too big."

While famous actors like Kristen Stewart and Jennifer Lawrence were able to get away with bucking the Cannes Film Festival's supposed stilettos-only rule, the same can't necessarily be said for everyday people trying to get into the event. According to Screen Daily, several older women were turned away from a Cannes screening in 2015 due to their shoes not being high enough. In response, the festival issued a statement to BBC, claiming that such a rule did not exist.

Evidently, the people who run the Cannes Film Festival got the memo that the unwritten rule was becoming increasingly unpopular, and wasn't exactly being followed to a T even if it did exist. As of writing, the official Cannes dress code states that, "Elegant shoes, with or without heels, are required." So while formal wear is obviously expected, nice flats are now officially fair game. That said, the dress code also says, "Trainers [i.e. sneakers] are forbidden."

With the rules — both written and unwritten — having apparently been relaxed a bit, numerous stars decided to have a bit of fun with their shoes at the Cannes Film Festival in 2024. One such guest was "Killers of the Flower Moon" actor Lily Gladstone, who eschewed thin stilettos in favor of thick platform heels. But Hollywood legend Jane Fonda arguably made the biggest statement when she stepped onto the red carpet in a pair of shiny flats.