The Valentino Rockstud Renaissance Is Upon Us

3 min read

Trends come and go—but the Valentino Rockstud is immortal.

The nostalgic pump, in all its 2010s glory, has been reinducted into the high fashion lexicon of late, thanks in no small part to Alessandro Michele. The Italian designer debuted a newly sharpened version of the studded staple for Valentino’s pre-fall 2026 collection in December. It then featured prominently in the Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer as seen on editrice Miranda Priestly. And stars like Lena Dunham, Dakota Johnson, Tyla, and Anne Hathaway (maybe she stole Miranda’s pair?) are all lining up to wear it on the red carpet.

Call it the Rockstud redux.

Lena Dunham at the 2026 Met Gala.

Dakota Johnson arrives at Valentino’s after-party during Paris Fashion Week.

The fashion world was introduced to the Rockstud by Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli, then the brand’s co-creative directors, who trademarked the design for the fall/winter 2010 season. Inspired by “bugnato” studs featured in Roman architecture, the “aristo-punk” design was meant to liven the craft of Italian couture with an edge. Upon their runway debut, they were shown with frilly peplum coats and matching miniskirts and immediately became celebrity and commercial fodder.

A look from Valentino’s fall/winter 2010 show.

The likes of Emma Stone, Jennifer Lopez, and Kim Kardashian (and even Kate Middleton) all wore the Rockstud, pairing it with everything from bodycon Hervé Léger bandage dresses to debatably too-tight ripped skinny jeans. “The Rockstud isn’t the most malleable shoe style-wise because of its heel height, so it is really steeped in going-out culture,” the New York-based fashion writer Liana Satenstein notes.

The design was so successful that by 2014, it had doubled the brand’s revenue, a result of the stud becoming an integral design code for the house. The metallic detail made its way onto sneakers, sandals, and bags, with Piccioli calling on designers including Craig Green to create their own Rockstud iterations for its 10th birthday. The following year, he introduced the Roman Stud, an even bigger bauble that lined gladiator sandals, handbags, and edgy ballet slippers.

Emma Stone wearing Valentino Rockstuds in 2014.

While referential, Michele’s Rockstud isn’t without new finishes. He changed the 2010 design with a chiseled toe box, platinum hardware, and Valentino red insoles. There are colors and patterns are aplenty, too, with lime green, nude, and light blue versions available. The range also comes in 100mm and 40mm heel heights, strappy sandals, and flats.

Tyla attends a Valentino post-show dinner in Rome.

Like many revivals—think Balenciaga’s City Bag, fittingly overseen by Piccioli, or Loewe’s reintroduction of the Amazona by Jack McCollough and Lazaro Hernandez—the Rockstud redux taps into the cyclical nature of fashion. Indie sleaze, the aesthetic underpinning all of that, is back, and the shoe sits squarely within that. But there’s also an ’80s excess to Michele’s Rockstuds, whether they’re worn with a shaggy topcoat and sheer lace tights (no pants, of course) or alongside a feathered boa dress à la Dunham at the 2026 Met Gala. Satenstein also points to the potential for modern Rockstuds to be worn “à la the Chanel flat, with baggy jeans or shorts,” but cautions that the shoe’s towering heel height could limit its everyday appeal. (Thankfully, Michele has that covered with multiple height options.)

In an era of fashion defined by an obsession with the recent past, the Rockstud is perfectly timed for a comeback. As Satenstein puts it, “Everyone loves nostalgia.”