Posting the first trailer for The Devil Wears Prada 2 on Instagram on her birthday this week, the film’s star Anne Hathaway captioned the video with “it’s everybody’s birthday”, prompting copious comments featuring emojis of flames, hearts and – of course – the red shoe now associated with the film’s poster.
But with the trailer circulating on social media, it’s the shoes that have become the focus of fashion debate – and not in a good way.
The trailer starts with the feet of the film’s fearsome fashion editor, Miranda Priestly, wearing red-studded Rockstud stilettos made by Valentino in 2010, a shoe that became popular with fashion editors of the decade.
It’s this that has caused offence – the idea that someone so plugged into fashion would be wearing what is considered passe. On the Who What Wear Instagram account, in comments below Hathaway’s post, followers made their feelings known. “Giving rockstuds that much airtime was a … choice,” wrote one, while another simply said “no to shoes”.
On TikTok, the creator NewsWithLils wrote: “I’m no fashion expert but even I know Miranda Priestly wearing Valentino rockstud shoes in 2025 is a diabolical move and not in a good way.”
The reaction is in line with a wider trend for online debate after the release of trailers or on-set images from films and TV that have a fashion angle.
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In June, images from the forthcoming biopic series of Carolyn Bessette Kennedy were released, with the actor Sarah Pidgeon as Kennedy. They were quickly trashed by fans, with one describing the images as “fashion murder”, with everything from the shade of blond of Pidgeon’s hair to the “wrong” handbag becoming a source of outrage.
Strong reactions around costumes demonstrate the love of fashion in film and TV, which is something those making the shows are no doubt conscious of – so much so a preview of “wrongness” in the costumes could be deliberate and designed to get the internet talking and create more buzz before release.
With the Rockstud, there’s also the possibility that the tide could turn and the shoe be viewed as a clever choice – because something that feels so behind the times is, in fact, ripe for a revival.
“When I started at Vogue in 2011, I remember Rockstuds being a familiar sight,” says Julia Hobbs, a senior contributing fashion features editor at Vogue. “In my mind, there’s something deeply nostalgic about them.”
She suggests there is more to come with the film. “If I were to play devil’s advocate, I’d say I’m always here for a vintage shoe revival – if we can call the 2010s vintage, which is a debate for another day,” she says. “And if anyone can kickstart a shoe trend, it’s Miranda Priestly.”
