We're in the era of the "naked shoe". Here's what that means for your outfits.

It's a shoe that you can barely call a shoe.

In December last year, high fashion house Balenciaga debuted "The Zero", a footwear design that has grabbed its fair share of headlines for what is literally a small piece of moulded rubber.

Watch: Jessica Vander Leahy tries the Style Maths method. Post continues below.

Featuring a thin, flat sole, a heel cup and a chamber for the big toe, the style looks more like someone's 3D printer experiment than a designer shoe — but that's just fashion, baby.

The Zero by Balenciaga. Image: Instagram/@myfacewheno_o

According to the brand, The Zero "distills footwear to its essence, bringing it as close as possible to being barefoot." It's the latest luxury shoe to aim for the ground, with the trend for 'invisible' footwear getting sillier by the second.

A model wears The Zero at Balenciaga's Pre-Fall presentation in December 2024.

First there was Alaia's fishnet ballet flat, THE it-shoe of celebrities and fashion influencers in 2023, as seen on the feet of Jennifer Lawrence, Sofia Richie and Dakota Johnston.

Alaia's mesh ballet flat. Image: Getty.

Its popularity spawned a similar style by boujie French fashion label Khaite, the $1450 Marcy leather-trimmed Mesh Ballet Flat, which resembles a sheer nude sock.

And you'd have to be hiding under a rock to have missed The Row's cage jelly sandals, which caused such a flurry online that they sold out immediately and led to a litany of squeaky high street knock-offs.

We've seen classic rubber thongs like Havaianas regain their clout, and flip flops become the unlikely shoe to be seen in at Fashion Month overseas.

Image: Getty.

But The Zero is a new… low. You have to wonder if Balenciaga is aiming squarely for Bianca Censori, because once you've worn a naked dress, surely a naked shoe is next? Or is the natural evolution for fashion types actually just going barefoot?

Don't they know those culty 'toe shoes' have been around for years?

But according to fashion experts, The Zero is a big indicator of where our wardrobes are heading — yes, really.

"This shoe reflects a wider shift we are seeing everywhere in fashion: the rise of a low-fi, raw aesthetic with stripped-down designs," says Instagram commentator A Guy Talks, a self-proclaimed "fashion nerd" who makes video essays about the state of style.

"While chunky trainers were all the rage a few years ago, the last two years the rise of low-profile sneakers like the [Adidas] Samba and the [Puma] Speedcat have been at the forefront, and fashion houses are pushing this no-shoe trend even further…."

If you think about it, barely-there shoes aren't all that surprising considering the wave of minimalist style that's overtaken our wardrobes in recent years.

The quiet luxury trend ushered in a subdued look that focused on cut, quality and craftsmanship over more overt fashion statements.

Stripping things back even further, we're now seeing sheer garments have their moment - transparent skirts and tops are everywhere in the shops, and in the past few weeks, Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively have worn see-through looks for public events.

Gigi Hadid and Blake Lively in transparent latex looks. Images: Getty.

With sheer everything in the spotlight, fashion writer Liana Satenstein thinks The Zero and its foot-exposing friends are really about reclaiming a part of our bodies that have traditionally been hidden away.

As she wrote for i-D magazine, "the foot focus feels right in the era where we've seen it all: every body part freely jiggles on social media. There's nothing left to the imagination. As for the foot? It's a tease by way of the mere digit."

If you're not ready to abandon your soles just yet, here are four minimalist options that'll at least set your toes free.

Billini Stellan, $69.95.

Melissa Float, $139.95.

Image: Supplied.

Ascent Groove, $79.99.

Image: Supplied.

Havaianas Top, $34.99.

Image: Supplied.

Will you be wearing barefoot-inspired shoes? Let us know your thoughts on the trend in the comments.

Feature image: Instagram/@myfacewheno_o; Getty.