Rocío Gallardo, creative director of Valencia-based handcrafted jewelry studio Simuero, was inspired to turn their bestselling rings—the Faro, Buzo, and Duna—into toe rings. The brand already had the Arena toe ring, but this expanded the collection with colorful birthstones. She and co-founder Jorge experimented: “The whole thing felt like a game, very instinctive.” When we speak, she’s wearing a bikini and three toe rings—appropriate for 77°F Spain. She never takes hers off, even with closed shoes—one is even her engagement ring. “Made by me, for me, with a diamond, worn on my toe.”
“What I love about my job is not having to keep up with trends,” says Gallardo. “I get to design what I feel is coming, without looking around too much. So when something ends up being ‘in,’ I’m never sure if it’s just a lucky coincidence or a shared wavelength with other people creating at the same time.”
“Either way, I love that they’re back. It feels spontaneous, playful, not too serious.”
Tessa Tran, CEO and creative director of Chan Luu, a jewelry label founded by her aunt in 1983, was inspired by frequent trips to India for their toe rings. The brand celebrated their latest launch with a ‘pedi party’ at a New York nail salon, where a guest stacked two of their chunkier style Caprice rings on her pinky toe, feet encased in Jimmy Choos. While previous iterations some five years ago were dainty and delicate solitaires, Chan Luu’s new collection has gotten more maximalist, including a 14K white pearl toe ring, and a toe knuckle ensconcing crystal and emerald piece.
“Toes are definitely having a moment,” says Tran. “An openness to being playful and bold is definitely back in fashion. We’re exiting the quiet luxury era and accessories. A bold head scarf, an embellished shoe, a big toe ring are easy ways to transform an entire look.” Tran herself wears the stacked Ripple toe rings on her second left toe, and two 14K gold diamond rings on her right fourth toe. Now, she’s considering putting her diamond earring through her still-there belly piercing she got when she was in high school—because “Why not?”
“I’m enamored with how people wear jewelry in India,” she says. “It’s not just aesthetic, everything has meaning. Toe rings for example, are traditionally worn by Hindu women as a symbol of marital status, but are also worn for Ayurvedic health benefits. Aesthetically, I was inspired by the layers of jewelry women wear around their feet—stacks of anklets and multiple rings on one toe.”