If there is any awards show where the shoes are allowed to compete with the gown, it is the Tony Awards. Broadway’s biggest night tends to reward a certain appetite for spectacle, and the 2026 Tony Awards blue carpet at Radio City Music Hall carried that all the way to the floor. The standout footwear did not follow one exact trend as much as one shared instinct: make the shoe impossible to miss.
Between crystals, cap toes, sequins and sculptural shapes, the blue carpet treated footwear more like a statement than just a tool for added height under a sweeping gown. Ahead, take a look at some of the most statement-making shoes on the 2026 Tony Awards red carpet.
Sarah Paulson
Sarah Paulson in Aquazzura Sandals at the 2026 Tony Awards.
Kristina Bumphrey
Sarah Paulson, who was among the night’s presenters, brought a more delicate version of the theme in Aquazzura’s Tequila 105 Sandals. The style had slim crystal-covered straps across the toes and ankle, set on a high stiletto heel.
A closer look at Sarah Paulson’s shimmering Aquazzura Tequila 105 Sandals.
Kristina Bumphrey
Melissa Barrera
Melissa Barrera in Betsey Johnson sandals at The 79th Annual Tony Awards.
Adela Loconte
Melissa Barrera, who made her Broadway debut this season as Rose in “Titaníque,” chose Betsey Johnson’s Lorra Sequin Ankle Strap Sandal for the Tony Awards carpet. The open-toe style featured golden floral sequin embellishment across the front, a slim ankle strap and a pearl-beaded stiletto heel.
A closer look at Melissa Barrera’s flower-and-pearl Betsey Johnson sandals.
Sam Pinkleton
Sam Pinkleton in sculptural platform shoes at The 79th Annual Tony Awards.
Kristina Bumphrey
Sam Pinkleton, the Tony-winning “Oh, Mary!” director behind the 2026 Broadway revival of “The Rocky Horror Show,” had the most theatrical shoe of the group. His platforms looked part peep-toe heel, part stage prop, with a glossy black upper, towering base and a clear zigzag structure cutting through the side.
A closer look at Sam Pinkleton’s sculptural peep-toe platform shoes.
WireImage
Ashley Longshore
Ashley Longshore in Chanel slingbacks from the house’s Métiers d’art collection at The 79th Annual Tony Awards.
Kristina Bumphrey
Visual artist Ashley Longshore brought her maximalist eye to the carpet in a red satin coat, patterned tights and Chanel slingbacks from the house’s Métiers d’art collection. The shoes had a black cap toe against a stark white upper, giving the look a crisp house-code contrast beneath the coat and her novelty television-shaped clutch.
A closer look at Ashley Longshore’s Chanel cap-toe slingbacks.
Betsy Wolfe
Betsy Wolfe in Casadei Blade Interstellar Pumps at The 79th Annual Tony Awards.
Kristina Bumphrey
Betsy Wolfe, who earned a 2023 Tony nomination for playing Anne Hathaway in “& Juliet,” finished her white high-low gown with what appeared to be Casadei’s Blade Interstellar Pumps in green. The pointed pumps had a mirrored emerald finish and the house’s signature slim Blade heel, adding saturated color below the feathered hem.
Kristina Bumphrey
The 79th annual Tony Awards return to Radio City Music Hall in New York on Sunday, with singer Pink acting as host for the CBS ceremony, which also streams on Paramount+. The show will feature performances from this season’s musical nominees, including nomination leaders “The Lost Boys” and “Schmigadoon!,” which have 12 nods each, followed by “Ragtime” with 11, along with “Cats: The Jellicle Ball” and “Titaníque,” plus special moments tied to “Chicago,” “Rent,” “A Chorus Line” and “The Book of Mormon.”
