Bottega Veneta Shoes Look Just Like Instant Ramen

Bottega Veneta shoes are inescapable–the square-toed mules were a fashion week staple, the Lido sandal a must for every street style slideshow throughout fashion month in September. According to the Lyst Index, as of October, the quilted shoe was the most sought-after women’s fashion product in the world, with more than 27,000 people searching for the style online each month. Creative director Daniel Lee was ahead of the square toe curve, and created a bestselling, ‘90s inspired phenomenon.

But for Bottega Veneta’s 2020 pre-fall collection, Lee looked to a different ‘90s-style source: ramen noodles, just like Justin Timberlake’s NSYNC hair. As Diet Prada pointed out on Instagram, a pre-fall shoe–a macramé style that comes as an open-toed mule or clompy open-backed bootie–bears an uncanny resemblance to instant noodles. They come in a light tan and yellow, looking exactly like the bricks of noodles we inhaled at 4 AM in college. Crack an egg on them for a gourmet touch.

Last year, Lee spoke about his understanding of Bottega Veneta as a brand—he probably wouldn’t be thrilled with the JT comparison. “Bottega is a brand that talks about sophisticated elegance. It’s almost about being quiet,” the designer told Vogue’s Nicole Phelps. “A silence in all the noise. A kind of stillness.”

“For me, life is really all about living in the moment,” he said. “I don’t have social media. I try and use my cell phone as little as possible. I definitely prefer human interaction. That’s very important to me and to the work I do. Design is also about living in the moment. It’s about working with whatever you have at hand and making the best of a situation. Celebrity? I think it’s a very different kind of world than what we’re in.”

Lee may be extremely offline for a millenial, but we bet he’s still seen the ramen meme. Some influencer better take a photo of the shoes in a bowl.