The Met Gala is considered the number-one fashion event of the year, drawing the buzziest guest list and a drove of photographers to the Metropolitan Museum of Art and its surrounding hotels every year. The outfits on the red carpet can be counted on to be couture or custom, even down to the shoes.

Ahead of the 2026 Met Gala, where the theme is “Costume Art” and the dress code “Fashion Is Art,” FN turned to the footwear industry to find out about the process of making custom shoes for the high-profile event.

Everything is heightened when it comes to Met Gala fashion, and that means footwear can be bigger, bolder, bespoke or maybe all three at once. Take, for example, the shoes worn by Debbie Allen last year in her Met Gala debut: a pair of Clergerie platforms that were hand-bedazzled by Anthony Cotillard at Le Rhinestud to go with her custom Paul Tazewell look.

Cotillard told FN about the vision behind Allen’s sparkling personalized shoes.

“The shoes were a style Debbie Allen already loves and wears regularly. Even though they were mostly concealed under the wide-legged trousers and ball skirt, the intention was that every element of the look felt considered and contributed to the overall story,” Cotillard said. “From my side, I was brought in to develop a red ombré crystal treatment that would bring depth and dimension to the shoes while staying aligned with the rest of the look.”

To create the dazzling gradient ruby red effect, he used Preciosa crystals in Siam and Light Siam, with sizes ranging from SS30 (about 6.5 mm) to SS3 (about 1.3 mm). Cotillard explained, “Mixing these sizes allows for a smooth color gradient across the surface of the shoe.”

When it comes to timeline, there’s preference versus reality to consider. Cotillard shared, “Ideally, I would have two to three weeks to develop and execute a design. In reality, timelines tend to be much shorter — it’s not unusual for projects like this to come together within a few days, sometimes even less.”

The team over at Paris-based luxury brand Amina Muaddi understands crunch time as well. Last year, the brand made custom shoes for guests including Rihanna (with whom the brand has previously collaborated) and Kim Kardashian.

Speaking of customs, Desree Ade, junior PR coordinator at Amina Muaddi, told FN that the team will create multiple options for a client, potentially three to five, making variations of the same style by switching up details like color and material. The entire design team gets involved, plus the factory, for the handful of custom orders the young brand can handle for the Met Gala.

The label worked closely with Fenty creative director Jahleel Weaver, who also does art direction for Amina Muaddi and had the idea for the two-toned brogue spectator style that Rihanna wore with her custom Marc Jacobs look in 2025. It was a new style for Amina Muaddi, but the lace-up silhouette was later released as part of Amina Muaddi’s collection, dubbed the Kim mule.

“Working based on themes and talents and stylists and teams is just the perfect moment to try out new new things and see how it performs,” Ade told FN.

Three weeks is the typical timeline the brand would need for a custom to be developed, though there are urgent instances when the label does express orders within less time. The team not only feels pressure in regard to meeting the talent and stylist’s vision, Ade explained, but also when it comes to actually delivering the shoes — that final step could come just hours before the Met. The PR coordinator noted that shoes are usually the last element brought in to finish a look, which adds to the quick turnaround factor.

On the brand having strong connections with high profile-stars like Rihanna and Kim Kardashian, Ade said, “I think it’s also important that we just maintain this relationship and always propose amazing styles, exclusive options that just align with the brand identity, but also Amina and what she stands for.”

Stay tuned for the custom Amina Muaddi shoe looks at the 2026 Met Gala.