Rihanna’s Creepers Win the “Shoe Oscar” for “Shoe of the Year”

It seems like it’s been such a long, long campaign, with speculation and debate abound for months now. It’s truly been a battle for America’s very soles. Now, all the ballots have been counted, and the results are not only finally in but they mark a milestone. For the first time ever, the winner is a woman.

Yes, Rihanna has won Footwear News’ coveted “Shoe of the Year” award. As a nation, we can all finally exhale.

She took home the award for her Fenty Puma Creeper, a Puma-fied take on the classic “Brothel creeper” shoes popular amongst ’70s punks. All the hype baes of the world seemed to have had it in their rotation this year.

“In my wildest dreams, I never would have imagined an honor like Shoe of the Year,” Rihanna told FN. “It means so much to me to make a mark like this in the shoe and sneaker industry and to have so many people share my love for the Creeper.”

Though the awards themselves are now in their 30th year, this is only the third year Footwear News has presented the “Shoe of the Year” category. Kanye West took home the honors last year for Adidas Yeezy Boost. Stan Smith, the tennis superstar of the ’70s, won the inaugural award for his classic Adidas model. That means that Rihanna is not only the first woman but also the first non-Adidas affiliated person to win the award.

Footwear News says it bases its decision on “retail sales, consumer feedback, social media prowess and overall buzz.”

RiRi’s Creepers are certainly a bona fide Instagram sensation and have also become a celebrity favorite as well. Both sisters Hadid have also been spotted out in the show. Cara Delevingne is a notably big fan of the shoes and owns editions in multiple colorways. She even one pair of creepers to visit the White House earlier this year.

Rihanna is no strangers to winning awards. She has multiple Grammys, VMAs, Kid’s Choice Awards, Billboards and even a few Webby’s on her shelf already. She’s not even a stranger to winning fashion awards either. She won the Council of American Fashion Designer’s Icon Awards in 2014 (if you don’t remember that particularly, then you certainly remember the Swarovski crystal-dripping Adam Selman dress she wore). Yet, she still seems genuinely excited by it all. She used three ‘praying hands’ emojis on Instagram to celebrate after all.

Of course, Rihanna won’t be the only person to walk away with a trophy at the “Shoe Oscars.”

Paul Andrew, the shoe maestro who was most recently scooped up by Ferragamo, will be awarded Designer of the Year. Adidas North America president Mark King will be named Person of the Year. Aldo Bensadoun (yes, that Aldo) will get a Lifetime Achievement award. Everyone’s favorite 95-year-old It Girl Iris Apfel will get an Icon Award, and Bergdorf Goodman’s Linda Fargo will be enshrined in the hall of fame. Winners in other categories will be announced between now and the actual date of the awards.