I Did a Double-Take When I Saw What Shoes Angelina Jolie Just Wore

It takes a lot to shock me in the fashion department. I tend to wear unexpected things at times, so when other people do it, I'm rarely phased. That being said, shocked is the only word I can think of to adequately sum up my reaction to finding Angelina Jolie, the celebrity I associate most with anti-trend dressing, wearing one of the Y2K era's most divisive shoe trends, platform slide sandals, in New York City yesterday—and not just because it was 30ºF out.

At first glance, Jolie's chunky mules took me back twenty years to my childhood, when stars like Britney Spears, Posh Spice, and even the animated version of Lizzie McGuire frequented similar pairs. But after further inspection, I realized that while her shoes might be reminiscent of a kitschier time in the world of fashion, the way she styled them was anything but. Jolie did what I never thought was possible: make platform slide sandals feel timeless and elegant. It helps that her exact pair is made of luxe velvet and printed with Celine's signature CC logo. I should've known it'd only take a French touch to completely revitalize the shoe trend that peaked in the 2000s.

Angelina Jolie in New York City on December 2, 2024 wearing a gray cardigan, black dress, and black Celine platform slide sandals.

(Image credit: The Image Direct)

On Angelina Jolie: Celine Elena Mules ($1100)

Given the statement-making nature of her footwear choice, Jolie kept the rest of her look fairly understated, styling the platforms with a black jersey maxi dress and a slouchy gray cardigan. On the accessories front, she added black sunglasses and a navy blue wristlet.

Earlier the same day, the Maria actress was spotted wearing the same shoes in brown shearling, styled with black trousers and the same gray knit, further proving that platform slides are en route for a comeback. If you agree, scroll down to shop some of our newfound favorite pairs.

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Senior Fashion Editor

Eliza Huber is a New York City–based fashion editor who specializes in trend reporting, brand discovery, and celebrity style. She joined Who What Wear in 2021 after almost four years on the fashion editorial team at Refinery29, the job she took after graduating with a marketing degree from the University of Iowa. She has since launched two monthly columns, Let's Get a Room and Ways to Wear; profiled the likes of Dakota Fanning, Diane Kruger, Katie Holmes, and Sabrina Carpenter for WWW's monthly cover features; and reported on everything from the relationship between Formula One and fashion to the top trends from fashion month, season after season. Eliza now lives on the Upper West Side and spends her free time researching F1 fashion imagery for her side Instagram accounts @thepinnacleoffashion and @f1paddockfits, running in Central Park, and scouring eBay for '90s Prada and '80s Yves Saint Laurent.