Celebrities Can’t Get Enough of This Sexy, Freaky Shoe Brand

What do Chloë Sevigny, Tracee Ellis Ross, and Nicole Kidman all have in common? A penchant for a freaky lil’ shoe—particularly one from the emerging label Jude.

Jurgita Dileviciute and Denitsa Bumbarova—the founder of luxury furniture label Project 213A and the former creative director of By Far, respectively—only launched Jude’s debut collection in November 2024, but it’s been greeted with celebrity fanfare galore. In addition to Sevigny, Ross, and Kidman, Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung , and Kylie Jenner have all joined in on the fandom.

Suki Waterhouse in Los Angeles.

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Hannah Einbinder at the GLAAD Media Awards.

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It’s easy to see why they’ve gained traction so quickly: the duo’s designs are sleek, sexy, and just a little outlandish. While they’ve been embraced by sartorial risktakers, it’s also a way for the curious to dip a toe, so to speak, into more esoteric fashion.

While Jude has a standard fare offering—classic pumps, strappy sandals, and loafers among them—one of their more outré styles emerged as their breakout: the Date mule. The 4-inch heel features a sliver of a cutout on the toe, far slimmer than a traditional peep-toe. “It’s always interesting to see which styles get the most traction, especially at the beginning,” Dileviciute and Bumbarova told Vogue. “Even in our first collection, we thought about a lot of uses and occasions with a wide offering but there was something really special about the Date mule. I think it has perfect proportions and people are naturally drawn to it, whether it’s an image, on the shelf of a store, but especially when they see it worn.”

Maya Erskine at a screening of Sacramento.

Steve Granitz

Ruth Negga at the Fashion Trust U.S. Awards.

Steve Granitz

Designers are finding success by subverting feminine silhouettes, the peep-toe especially fertile ground for exploration. Fendi, Khaite, Miu Miu, Alaïa, and Prada have all riffed on the trend in recent seasons, while Tory Burch has spent her last few collections finding, somehow, more ways for toes to peep.

For those who are tired of the same old silhouette, Jude seems to offer a way in. Case in point, the Date mule has found fans among Suki Waterhouse, Hannah Einbinder, Ruth Negga, Maya Erskine, Michelle Monghan, and Kelly Rutherford. But worry not—if you’re into something a little more freaky, they’ve got you covered too.