Why the Moon Boots Trend Is Taking off on TikTok
Gen Z style enthusiasts are embracing the “winter bimbocore” look.
If you thought February’s cold snap could bring an end to fashion’s Y2K obsession, with its teensy tops, low-slung denim and slinky mini dresses, think again and meet the trend’s winter-ready counterpart: the moon boot.
This season, the moon boots have emerged as the footwear style du jour, as It girls, TikTokers and Gen Z trendsetters continue to mine the early aughts for as-of-yet untapped relics. Back at the turn of the millennium, the oversized boot — and winterized version to the UGG — became the go-to cold-weather footwear for celebrities like Paris Hilton and Victoria Beckham. The former loyally paired hers with matching Juicy Couture tracksuits, while the latter wore hers, more practically, as an après-ski option.
Today, we associate the puffy boot with the 2000s era and its McBling icons. However, the original Moon Boot’s history actually traces all the way back to the 1960s. After watching the first moon landing, Italian entrepreneur Giancarlo Zanatta launched the Moon Boot in 1969, a tech-y, space-age style boot inspired by the chunky silhouettes of those worn by the Apollo 11 astronauts.
@_kinglis im obsessed #fyp #foryou #fashion #clothes #miumiu #miumiufw21 #runway #runwayshows #winterfashion ♬ Frutta E Verdura – Whitearmor & Gud
Just as it was in the early aughts, the Moon Boot is being ressurected once again. This time by a new generation of style icons and even a few from the original Y2K guard. We can chart 2022’s snow boot fervor back to the presentation of Miu Miu’s Fall/Winter 2021 offering, in March of last year. “Alpine lingerie,” as Vogue called it, the collection proposed an exuberant post-pandemic look: pastel puffer coats, quilted jumpsuits and wooly balaclavas. A winter wardrobe for re-emerging from hibernation without forsaking the comforts of quarantine. In the label’s presentation video, models stalked across the snowy peaks of the Italian Dolomites. Afoot? Chunky, faux fur boots of yeti-esque proportions.
@rae.hersey Moonbootcore @Maggie McCormack @Chase Wise ♬ original sound – jwfrag
Naturally, TikTok was hooked. The colourful snowsuits themselves became the week’s objects of affection. By fall, the balaclava had become one of the season’s most coveted accessories, while the collection’s furry boots had given way to a new sub-trend: “Russian bimbocore,” a Gen Z take on the Slavic snow bunny aesthetic, blending all the trappings of Y2K (Louis Vuitton bags and Dior wrap shades) with even “cheugier” winter accessories (faux fur vests, ushanka hats and, of course, big faux fur boots.) In January, Kendall Jenner brought the trend from TikTok to the tabloids when she wore a pair with nothing but a bikini — and the requisite wrap sunglasses — out in the snow.
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With its outsized footwear and quilted snow gear, Miu Miu’s FW21 collection was certainly a nod to the padded, pastel essence of the Y2K moon boot. For Gen Z and millennials, it was an homage that tracked, unearthing the long-forgotten product from the depths of our pre-teen memories and ushering them to the tops of our For You pages and Instagram feeds. Naturally, Dua Lipa was among the first to sport the trend, pairing a faux fur version with an Isa Boulder bikini in a very “winter bimbo” moment, and later wearing a red colorway at a rehearsal for her Future Nostalgia tour. Appropriately enough, the celebrities who’d lived the boot’s 2000s heyday were next to resurrect the trend: Madonna slipped a pair or two into a photo dump; a few days later, Mariah Carey stepped into the New Year, fur-caped and two Moon Boots afoot. Since then, the padded boots have been worn by Hailey Bieber, actor Iris Apatow and influencer Lindsay Vrckovnik.
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The Moon Boot is now available in a rainbow of colorways — with the most Y2K of all, a Swarovski-bedazzled edition, retailing at a cool $3,808 USD. This season, the shoe’s rising popularity has spawned a very chic collaboration with Chloé — and even its fair share of lookalikes from brands including Dior and Jimmy Choo. With all these options, it seems like winter’s hottest trend has only just started heating up.
Zoë Kendall is a writer and editor specializing in fashion and culture.
