Footwear that was once branded as ‘the world’s ugliest shoe’ has soared in popularity once again, thanks, in part to Taylor Swift.
The popstar, 34, was spotted enjoying a girls’ night out in New York City with her pal, Gigi Hadid, over the weekend in a pair of Vivienne Westwood snake-print heeled ankle boots.
Immediately upon looking at photos of Taylor from the dinner date, your eyes naturally gravitate to her towering, patterned lace-up heels, which bear a striking resemblance to Jeffrey Campbell’s polarizing Lita boots.
Fashion bloggers and online influencers gushed over the clunky shoe – which boasted a two-inch platform and a five-inch feel, and came in a slew of dramatic patterns and bright colors.
But not everyone was a fan.
In fact, The Daily Beast branded the boot as the worlds ugliest shoe in a 2013 article.
Simply put, the shoe looks like an elephant on your foot, the outlet wrote. [Its] the Clydesdale hoof of modern footwear.
According to the publication, the $160 boots were first introduced in 2010 and at first, it was only offered in one color: bright yellow.
Named after The Runaways singer Lita Ford, the boots took off after the online fashion site Nasty Gal started promoting them.
Within three years, there were 164 different colors and patterns available, and 160,000 pairs of the shoe had been sold worldwide, per The Daily Beast.
There were Litas covered in metal spikes; ones with an American flag printed on them; and a pair embellished in rhinestones.
The brand even released a line of all-white Lita boots intended for brides to wear on their big days.
Every season, new materials, or heel treatments were added, former Jeffrey Campbell employee Sharon Blackburn told The Cut in 2020, while reflecting on the phenomenon.
We had versions in lace, glitter, leopard, snake, clear vinyl, paint splattered, neon, glow-in-the-dark, fur, plaid, patchwork, laser-cut daisies, and punched-out stars.
Earlier this year, Jeffrey Campbell announced that it was officially bringing the Lita boots back.
Only five of the 164 styles have returned to shelves, including pairs in black, blue, and apricot, which is a shade of brown.
In addition, the boot is offered in blue cosmic, a spacy pattern that has sold out in almost every size, and black with metallic spikes.
The first four options are priced at $195, while the spiked version costs $240.
‘We decided to bring back our iconic Litas and other styles from the early 2010s for our latest collection because we saw the resurgence of these trends on the horizon… rejecting modernity and embracing Jeffrey Campbell indie sleaze,’ the company told The Guardian in a statement.
While Taylor isn’t wearing a pair of Lita boots, hers certainly resemble the iconic shoe.
And any time the Cruel Summer songstress steps out in something, it instantly shines a spotlight onto the product.
Last year, she was photographed in a $673 pair of Rebirth jeans, and within hours, they were sold out online.
