NEWSMargaret Qualley Hints That She Wore Viral Barefoot Shoes as a Distraction During Jack Antonoff Split: 'Maybe People Will Just Talk About This'
Margaret Qualley hinted she used her barefoot shoes as a distraction.
Oct. 8 2026, Updated 1:26 p.m. ET
Margaret Qualley hinted she might have worn those viral barefoot shoes to distract people from her shock split from husband Jack Antonoff.
The Substance actress appeared on Today with Jenna & Sheinelle and answered questions about the out-there footwear choice.
Margaret Qualley Hinted That the Shoes Were a Distraction From Her Split
Margaret Qualley may have used the barefoot shoes as a distraction from her split.
Jenna Bush Hager and Sheinelle Jones were slightly dumbfounded by the barefoot shoes Qualley wore for the London premiere of The Dog Stars in August, but Qualley shared one good reason to wear the strange sandals: "I'd pick that over heels any day," she said.
When asked if they were comfortable, she said, "Yeah, barefoot? For sure!"
She added, "The thought was, maybe people will just talk about this."
Though she didn't spell it out, the implication seemed to be that people would talk about Qualley's shoes rather than her breakup.
The Viral Barefoot Shoes
Margaret Qualley wore the barefoot Chanel shoes.
ICYMI, the shoes in question were from Matthieu Blazy's Resort 2027 collection for Chanel, and featured only a heel cap and lacy straps — with nothing over the toes or the majority of the foot.
Qualley wore them to her movie premiere on August 20, and it wasn't until members of the public shared their thoughts and feelings.
"Can we all agree that this is a horrible design and these shoes should never be worn by anyone…" one person said on Instagram.
"I feel like that's the wrong part of the foot to cover," said someone else.
"Bet it costs $1,000 for half a shoe," added another.
"are those allowed to be called sandals?" wondered a fourth social media user.
- Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley's Relationship Timeline: Inside Their Nearly 3-Year Marriage After Shocking Separation
- Margaret Qualley and Husband Jack Antonoff Separate After 3 Years of Marriage: Things Have Been 'Rocky,' Shares Insider
- Jack Antonoff & Margaret Qualley Confirm They’re Dating Despite 11-Year Age Difference With PDA In NYC
Want OK! each day? Sign up here!
Margaret Qualley's Split From Jack Antonoff
Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff split earlier this year.
The Maid actress and Antonoff, the music producer responsible for much of Taylor Swift's music, broke up over the summer.
At the time, a source said, "They argue a lot, and between her career and him constantly being on the road or working late in the studio, it’s been difficult."
Margaret Qualley and Jack Antonoff's Relationship Timeline
Jack Antonoff and Margaret Qualley got married in August 2023.
Qualley and Antonoff first met in 2021 at a rooftop party, according to reports.
They got engaged in May 2022 and married in August 2023, and they still seemed loved up as recently as February 2023.
For his part, the musician cheekily reacted to the news when playing his 2017 track “Let’s Get Married” during his September 15 performance at The Troubadour in Los Angeles.
“Read the news, brother,” Antonoff said, before adding, “I love that song and I wrote it, like, 11 years ago.”
