The Rockstud Revival Is Pants-Optional, According to Dakota Johnson

It’s a Rockstud renaissance at Valentino. So much so that Dakota Johnson decided she didn’t need pants to attend the brand’s couture show in Paris today. Just a pair of those iconic studded heels.

Johnson stepped out in a metallic Boho top with strong shoulders and feather plumes lining the sleeves. Never one to shy away from a skin-baring opportunity, Johnson styled her open party blouse with a pair of sheer black underwear worn over lace tights. A cheetah print top with a skinny scarf and a metallic clutch added to the eclecticism.

Undoubtedly, the hero piece of Johnson’s look was her Valentino Rockstud heels. The two-steppers feature a red interior, T-bar straps, and those infamous studs lining the exterior. The finishing touch that made us briefly question whether it was 2026 or 2016 all over again.

Beloved at the time by fashion It girls like Jennifer Lopez and Alexa Chung, Valentino’s Rockstud shoes were introduced by the brand during the fall 2010 season by then-co-creative directors Maria Grazia Chiuri and Pierpaolo Piccioli. With its nods to the Boho aesthetic and an Indie Sleaze appeal, the distinct shoe instantly became a best-seller for the Italian label in the early and mid-2010s, a brand signifier almost as identifiable as its “Valentino red.”

Johnson wasn’t the only one in a throwback mood during Wednesday’s show. Tyla, who presumably took the red-eye from New York after her Tonight Show performance, also wore the studded stompers. Then, there were the re-issued pairs that Alessandro Michele released for Valentino’s pre-fall 2026 collection. And, perhaps most notably, a pair of bright red Rockstuds made its way onto Miranda Priestly in The Devil Wears Prada 2 trailer, ensuring that the nostalgic silhouette is to be well-placed in the fashion ether this year.