Kaia Gerber started her press tour for Ryan Murphy's The Shards on July 27 in a sleeveless little black dress and black suede pointy backless mules from Herbert Levine. The look moves her away from the block-heel ballet flats she often wears off the clock in L.A. and puts backless shoes into a higher-profile rotation just before the project reaches Hulu on August 5.
Emma Jade Morrison styles July 27
Emma Jade Morrison dressed Gerber in a little black dress with glossy satin from the boatneck to the knee-length hem. The styling reads less like a random street-style pivot than a deliberate press-tour switch: the dress keeps the palette spare, while the backless mule sharpens the silhouette without adding visual weight.
Herbert Levine supplied the pointy black suede mules, a choice that lands squarely in the backless category now showing up across Spring/Summer 2026 runways from Dior, Loewe, and Stella McCartney. Backless closed-toe heels differ from peep-toe pumps in one useful way: the front stays covered while the heel remains open, which gives the shoe a cleaner line and pushes the emphasis to the instep and ankle rather than the toe opening.
Repetto flats, then Herbert Levine
Gerber usually pairs little black dresses with the block-heel ballet flats she designed with Repetto when she is off the clock in L.A. That habit makes the July 27 appearance notable for a simple reason: she traded a familiar, low-profile formula for something more directional at the exact moment her press tour began.
The shift also places her alongside Katie Holmes, Alexa Chung, and Monica Barbaro, who have been styling peep-toe pumps this summer. Gerber's backless mules make a cleaner seasonal bridge than a peep-toe pump because they keep the toe box closed while opening the heel, which is why the style reads as an autumn handoff rather than a straight summer repeat.
Hulu on August 5
The Shards reaches Hulu on August 5, so the July 27 look arrives as part wardrobe move, part positioning play. For readers tracking the shoe cycle, the practical takeaway is straightforward: backless heels are the quieter bet if the goal is to move past peep-toe pumps without abandoning a dressy, closed-toe shape.
