Susan Sarandon Makes a Statement in Flats on the Cannes Red Carpet

Susan Sarandon wearing flats on the red carpet. (Photo: Getty Images)

Susan Sarandon regularly makes statements on the red carpet, from cleavage-baring bandeaus to tailored suits with killer kicks. But on Wednesday, the Bernie Sanders supporter got political with her latest look.

At 2015’s Cannes Film Festival, multiple women were reportedly turned away from screenings for not showing up in stilettos. Steeped in tradition, the extravaganza has an unwritten dress code that presumes men will wear tuxedos with bow ties and black shoes and women will dress in gowns with heels. Security guards or “hosts” have enforced the fashion rules in the past. While organizers eventually called #flatgate a mistake, it still fueled a conversation about sexism and feminism.

So Sarandon stepping out with her feet firmly on the ground seems to read as a sartorial “Screw you” to the establishment. Wearing a black suit with a white-collared shirt and oversized cat-eye sunglasses, she looked just as chic as her peers swathed in couture — and certainly more comfortable.

To make her point clear, the actress tweeted emojis, roughly translating to “no heels.”

Coincidentally, Sarandon’s shoe choice comes on the heels of a woman being sent home from work without pay for not wearing heels. Simultaneously, a waitress shared a photo of her bloody feet following a shift wearing heels, and the photo went viral. The woman’s manager didn’t let her change shoes, and the waitress ended up losing a toenail.

Consider Sarandon high-minded — just in low shoes.

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