On the American designer's birthday, L'OFFICIEL looks at Owens' ongoing impact in the realm of high fashion shoes.

<a href="https://www.lofficiel.co.uk/fashion-week/rick-owens-spring-summer-2020-paris-fashion-week">Rick Owens</a>&#39; deconstructed design aesthetic begs for virality, even if it&#39;s the designer&#39;s last intention. From his namesake label&#39;s start in Los Angeles to leaving a mark from its Paris base today, Owens never fails to provide fresh ideas on the runway, with&nbsp;highly-anticipated spectacles&nbsp;each&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/hermes-balenciaga-loewe-spring-2021-trend-paris-fashion-week">fashion week</a>. Known for memorably accessorizing models with other models and casting step dancers in a move that departed from the&nbsp;waif-thin models that usually&nbsp;dominate shows, the designer&#39;s creative vision knows no bounds. And amidst these bold moves, a more subtle impact was at play&ndash;accompanying&nbsp;Owens&#39;&nbsp;dark fantasy fashions is a legacy of footwear.

rick-owens-spring-summer-2016-human-backpack.jpg

rick-owens-spring-summer-2014-step-dancers.jpg

If his futuristically <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/marc-jacobs-brings-back-his-infamous-grunge-collection">grungy</a> clothing present the unexpected with their unique sillhouettes, then his shoes break the same barriers. Since his brand&#39;s New York Fashion Week debut in 2002, Owens has been at the forefront of anti-fashion, underscored by footwear that varies from <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/white-sneakers-for-women-fashion">minimalist sneakers</a> to <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/spring-2018-ready-to-wear/rick-owens">ultra-chunky sandals</a> that beat <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/tags/yeezy">Yeezy</a> in the fashion cycle by several seasons. Perhaps most prominent among his footwear contributions are boots. Owens made the ever-popular <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/fall-boot-trend-guide-2020-designer-runway">over-the-knee-boot</a> cool long before fashion girls started sporting the style. Influenced by his post-apocalyptic&nbsp;<a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/stevie-nicks-fashion-fleetwood-mac">rock &#39;n&#39; roll</a>&nbsp;style, Owens&#39; signature sky-high platform <a href="https://www.luisaviaroma.com/en-us/p/rick-owens/women/72I-L2E003?ColorId=OTkwOA2&amp;lvrid=_p_d250_gw&amp;SizeTypeId=05&amp;SizeId=3&amp;from=gshop&amp;gclid=EAIaIQobChMI39qIhK2K7QIVeh6tBh3mBAicEAQYAiABEgIoiPD_BwE&amp;gclsrc=aw.ds&amp;aka_re=1">Kiss boot</a>&mdash;with variations including chunky, lucite heels and grills&mdash;are unique not only in their design but their gender-breaking intentions, seen on the likes of <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/pop%20culture/gigi-hadid-fashion-month-film-photos-2019">Luka Sabbat</a> and fashion duo <a href="https://www.vogue.com/vogueworld/article/fecal-matter-instagram-duo-to-follow">Fecal Matter</a>.

@upscalehype

@rickowensonline

While many of Owens&#39; in-house styles cater towards more experimental fashion enthusiasts, his collaborations have gathered a&nbsp;different but equally enthusiastic fan base. Fostering a four-year partnership with <a href="https://www.lofficielarabia.com/fashion/adidas-originals-and-pharrell-williams-launch-collaborative-superstar">Adidas</a>, Owens&#39; became a&nbsp;favorite&nbsp;among sneakerheads with drops that gathered&nbsp;elements from his more athletic <a href="https://www.gq.com/story/rick-owens-sneakers-dunk-og-black">high-tops</a> and rubber sole sock boots,&nbsp;bringing&nbsp;elements of high fashion into the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/men/l-officiel-project-las-vegas">streetwear</a> community.&nbsp;

<img alt="Rick Owens Geobasket Dunks" src="https://image.goat.com/1000/attachments/product_template_pictures/images/007/857/907/original/rickog.png" style="float:right; height:250px; margin:5px; width:250px" />The designer has also been known to play on iconic sneaker styles, coopting recognizabe elements for his own footwear. With resale value hitting a few thousand dollars, the <a href="https://www.grailed.com/drycleanonly/rick-owens-nike-beef">Rick Owens Geobaskets (also known as Dunks)</a>&nbsp;are among the designer&#39;s most notable upgraded dupes. First debuted in his <a href="https://www.vogue.com/fashion-shows/fall-2006-menswear/rick-owens">Fall/Winter 2006</a> collection, the black and white leather hightops bear a resemblance to Nike&#39;s Airforce 1s, complete with a swoosh-like check on the side. The reference was obvious enough for Nike to allegedly send a cease-and-desist to Owens, who subsequently redesigned the Geobaskets to have a triangle marking instead. Owens also introduced the Ramones,&nbsp;a toe-capped leather hightop that are inspired by <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/politics-culture/kamala-harris-converse-vice-president-election-twitter">Converse&#39;s Chuck Taylors</a>. Playing on already ubiquitous footwear, Owens inverted the usual high fashion knockoffs and instead elevated everyday styles through his designer shoes.&nbsp;

Other labels have given Owens the creative liberty to remix their signature footwear. Now in the third year of a fruitful collaboration with <a href="https://wwd.com/fashion-news/fashion-scoops/rick-owens-extends-birkenstock-collaboration-1234579986/">Birkenstock</a>, the designer will launch his own take on the <a href="https://www.lofficielusa.com/fashion/rick-owens-designed-a-pair-of-hairy-birkenstocks">shoe brand&#39;s</a> Arizona and Boston sandals in spring 2021. Owens also has a three-year partnership with sneaker label Veja, recently launching a joint capsule of sneaker-sock styles.&nbsp;The designer was drawn to the collaboration because of Veja&#39;s commitment to sustainability.&nbsp;The&nbsp;collaboration with the French footwear brand was a slow, intentional process, melding elements of his design choices with the brand&#39;s organic, recycled materials.

Throughout his decades at the forefront of fashion, Owens has developed a distinct style which he seamlessly translates to footwear. Whether with commercially successful collaborations or avant garde creations that challenge traditional notions of fashion, he&#39;s made shoes a part of his signature one step at a time.

Rick Owens in Paris in October 2023. Getty Images.

How Rick Owens Changed Footwear

Tags

Related Articles

Shopping

Combat Boots Offer the Strength and Utility Shoppers are Looking for Now

Fashion

Rick Owens Designed a Pair of Hairy Birkenstocks

Fashion

A Retrospective on Rick Owens Is Coming

Recommended posts for you

Shopping

18 Luxury Pet Accessories for the Person Who Dresses Up Their Dog

Fashion

John Galliano Leaves Maison Margiela After a Decade

Shopping

Editor-Approved Jewelry Boxes to Organize and Protect Your Treasures

Travel & Living

How a Subreddit Helped Me Plan My Perfect Manhattan Wedding

Fashion

L'HISTOIRE: Gwyneth Paltrow's 1996 Red Gucci Suit by Tom Ford

Film & TV

Cynthia Erivo's 6 Career-Defining Roles, From 'Harriet' to 'Wicked'

Shopping

27 All-Time Favorite Skincare and Makeup Products to Shop for the Holidays

Shopping

27 Splurge Gifts to Treat Yourself This Holiday Season