When Madison Beer stepped onto the carpet at the 2025 Variety Hitmakers Brunch in Los Angeles this weekend, the flashbulbs captured more than just a successful pop star in attendance; they illuminated a distinct pivot in the footwear economy. Wearing a pair of directional, high-gloss peep-toe pumps, Beer offered a masterclass in the "soft-glam" resurgence, effectively challenging the decade-long hegemony of the chunky sneaker and the platform boot. This wasn’t merely a styling choice—it was a strategic signal. As the fashion industry grapples with the cooling of streetwear mania, this calculated return to hyper-feminine, "ladylike" silhouettes suggests that the peep-toe—a polarizing icon of the mid-2000s and the 1950s—is being repositioned as the defining shoe of the post-sneaker era.
The Anatomy of the Look: A Cultural Pivot
The significance of Beer’s appearance at the Variety event lies not in the shock value, but in the refinement. For years, the "cool girl" uniform has been predicated on irony and volume—oversized soles, dad sneakers, and gorpcore pragmatism. Beer’s styling, however, leans into a polished, almost conservative femininity that feels radically fresh against the backdrop of Los Angeles’ casual industry standards.
The peep-toe pump functions here as a sophisticated disruptor. Unlike the aggressive sharpness of a closed-toe stiletto or the relaxed nature of a strappy sandal, the peep-toe occupies a unique psychological space. It references the "Old Hollywood" glamour that Gen Z is currently metabolizing through TikTok trends like the "coquette" aesthetic and "old money" styling. By choosing a sleek, likely satin or fine leather iteration, Beer and her styling team are validating the silhouette for a generation that views the early 2000s not as a mistake, but as a vintage archive to be raided and refined.
This look serves as a visual anchor for what industry insiders call "quiet category rebalancing." As the resale market for sneakers stabilizes and casualization reaches its saturation point, the pendulum is swinging violently back toward structure, height, and deliberate elegance. Beer is simply the muse carrying the message.
The Variety Hitmakers Brunch: An Industry Testing Ground
To understand the trajectory of this trend, one must analyze the venue. The Variety Hitmakers Brunch has evolved into a critical "soft launch" pad for fashion trends. Unlike the Grammys or the Met Gala, which demand theatricality and custom couture, the Hitmakers Brunch is an industry-facing operational environment. It is where stylists test wearability.
The unspoken narrative of the event is commercial viability. If a shoe works here—photographed in daylight, navigating a brunch setting, signaling status without screaming for attention—it is primed for mass adoption. The appearance of the peep-toe in this specific context suggests that luxury footwear brands are moving beyond the theoretical "return of the heel" seen on runways and are now executing the practical phase of the rollout: placing product on influential stars in relatable, semi-formal settings.
This is strategic brand seeding at its finest. While the specific designer of Beer’s pumps remains unconfirmed by PR channels, the silhouette aligns with current collections from houses pushing a return to sensuality. By securing placement on Beer—a figure whose visual identity is meticulously curated and obsessively tracked by young women—the footwear category gains a powerful visual receipt to present to buyers and retailers for the upcoming season.
The Psychology of the "Pretty Shoe"
Why the peep-toe, and why now? The resurgence aligns with a broader cultural shift away from the "ugly shoe" trend that dominated the late 2010s. We are witnessing a fatigue regarding silhouettes that obscure the foot. The peep-toe is, by definition, revealing. It lengthens the leg, modifies the posture, and demands a certain level of grooming and presentation that the sneaker expressly rejects.
For Madison Beer’s demographic, the peep-toe is a "bridge" silhouette. It offers the elevation of a pump but with a playful, retro aperture that softens the severity of a business shoe. It fits perfectly into the "soft girl" algorithmic trend—an aesthetic that prioritizes pastels, ribbons, and traditional markers of femininity. In this context, the peep-toe is not "dated"; it is "archival." It signals that the wearer is engaging with fashion history, referencing the pin-up era and the Sex and the City era simultaneously, but filtering it through a modern, high-definition lens.
Market Implications: The Business of Heels
From a business of fashion perspective, the stakes of this shift are high. Luxury brands have higher margins on leather goods and dress shoes than on canvas sneakers. For the past five years, however, they have been forced to compete in the sneaker market to capture youth spend. The return of the pump represents a correction in the luxury business model, allowing heritage brands to play to their strengths: construction, material quality, and silhouette.
Retailers watching the Variety coverage will likely accelerate their orders for open-toe styles. The data suggests that while consumers are cautious, they are willing to spend on items that feel "special" or "event-ready." The sneaker was a pandemic staple; the peep-toe pump is a post-pandemic declaration of intent. It says, "I have somewhere to go, and I am dressing up for it."
Timeline: The Resurrection of the Heel
- 2015–2021: The "Sneaker Hegemony." Streetwear dominates. Heels are relegated to formal evening wear; daywear is ruled by Yeezy, Jordan, and Balenciaga Triple S.
- 2022–2023: The "Y2K Irony" phase. Gen Z discovers kitten heels and butterflies. The look is costume-adjacent and experimental, often thrifted.
- 2024: The "Quiet Luxury" correction. Loafers and ballet flats replace sneakers. The eye adjusts to slimmer profiles and leather soles.
- December 2025 (Present): The "Polished Return." Madison Beer at Variety Hitmakers. The peep-toe pump is reintroduced not as irony, but as a credible, aspirational standard for day-to-night glamour.
Forecast: What Happens Next?
We predict a rapid "trickle-down" effect following this media moment. Fast-fashion retailers, who monitor social sentiment around figures like Beer closely, will likely push peep-toe SKUs to the front of their digital storefronts by early Spring 2026. Expect to see the silhouette iterated in patent leather, pastels, and metallics.
Furthermore, this signals a shift in celebrity styling for the upcoming awards season. We anticipate a move away from the towering, alien-like platforms of recent years toward more classic, streamlined footwear. Stylists will likely use the peep-toe to ground the increasingly sheer and delicate dress trends seen on the runways.
Ultimately, Madison Beer’s choice of footwear is a microcosm of a larger industry truth: fashion is cyclical, but it never returns exactly the same. The 2025 peep-toe is sleeker, styled with more restraint, and carries the weight of a generation ready to trade the comfort of the sneaker for the power of the pump.
Written by Ara Ohanian for FAZ Fashion — fashion intelligence for the modern reader.
