Why ‘Ugly’ Sandals & Cowboy Boots Will Rule at Coachella This Year

On Friday, Coachella will kick off its annual festival in the desert wilderness of Indio, Calif. While the star-studded musical performers (including headliners Ariana Grande and Childish Gambino) are the main attraction, fashion is certainly the side show. The two-weekend-long event, which draws flocks of celebrities and social media influencers, has become fertile ground for the emergence of new trends as the crowd embraces the festival’s free-spirited bohemian vibe.

As Coachella-goers plan their looks and pack their bags for the weekend ahead, global fashion search platform Lyst has revealed its predictions for the major trends that will influence this festival season. To compile its report, Lyst compared the online shopping behavior of more than 5 million consumers searching, browsing and buying fashion, and analyzed various spikes in searches over the past three months, based on global search data and social media metrics.

When it comes to footwear, oversize — or “ugly,” as they are more affectionately known — sandals are the most wanted festival styles right now, prized for their perfect balance of on-trend style and comfort. Searches for “rubber sandals” have surged 34 percent since the beginning of March alone. In the last week, Prada Velcro sandals were searched for every seven minutes. Overall, searches for chunky sporty sandals are up 30 percent year over year.

prada, chunky sandals
Chunky sport sandals featured in Prada’s spring ’19 collection.
CREDIT: Courtesy of brand

Lyst has also identified a growing interest in cowboy boots, with searches currently up 37 percent month on month. Hot brands include Free People, Ganni, Mango and Asos, while white is the most in-demand color.

free people, cowboy boots
Tall Western boots by Free People.
CREDIT: Courtesy of brand

Other trends highlighted in Lyst’s festival fashion forecast include cycling shorts (neon, tie-dye and rainbow styles are particularly popular), sequined bikini tops, harness chest bags, futuristic sport sunglasses and Y/Project denim panties (or “janties,” as they’ve become known).

Watch the video below on celebrities wearing workboots. 

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