Zendaya Proves a Controversial Boot Trend Is Actually Wearable on a Nordstrom Run With Tom Holland
It even works for walking her dog, Noon.


Zendaya and Tom Holland have just given the early Christmas gift of another unexpected sighting—and styling tips to go with it. The duo brought their coordinating couples' wardrobe—and their dog, Noon Coleman—on a trip to the Topanga Mall Nordstrom on Dec. 17. There's no way to tell what they picked up on their walk through the fragrance department, but it's suddenly clear from pictures of the pair how to style one of fashion's most controversial boot trends: the Maison Margiela Tabi.
These cleft-toed shoes, available in flats, pumps, and ankle boots like Zendaya's, have been a niche fashion hit since they first debuted at Margiela in 1989. Martin Margiela wanted to bring the ergonomic benefits of the style from Japan, where it originated, to the Western luxury market—and did so with an instantly polarizing leather shoe defined by a big-toe slot. Over the years, the hoof-like shoes ascended from insider-favorite to one of the hottest items on the Lyst Index (a surefire sign of a major trend), leaving some of us to wonder how to possibly style them if we're not a front-row regular.
Enter Zendaya, who both owns the front row at Paris Fashion Week and knows how to style this boot trend in an everyday context—like, say, a last-minute gift run at Nordstrom.
Zendaya and Tom Holland browsed the Topanga Mall's Nordstrom in neutral, coordinating outfits.
Zendaya paired her $1,420 boots with the simplest of outfit formulas: a white tank top and barrel leg black jeans. She carried what appeared to be a Louis Vuitton bag in one hand and Noon's leash in the other. Swinging a Nordstrom shopping bag by her side, Tom Holland wore a gray polo sweater and black slacks. (Noon Coleman also happened to fit the color story with his glossy black coat.)
Her outfit is the blueprint for making a polarizing, confusing, or downright hard-to-wear boot trend (or flat, or sandal) feel so much more accessible. The minimal palette and simple shapes tie in with her boot's crisp black leather; they bring the overall vibe back down to earth while her shoe silhouette ascends to another fashion plane. From this distance, her Tabis suddenly don't look so controversial after all. It's not clear where exactly she pulled her minimalist basics from at press time—but given the shopping mall of it all, I took the liberty of hunting down similar pieces at Nordstrom.
Dates with Tom Holland tend to bring out Zendaya's more casual side—though she finds ways to work experimental fashion into the mix. While she was filming the upcoming A24 flick The Drama in Boston earlier this month, Z and T would mostly take walks in Reformation sweaters, On sneakers (Zendaya is an ambassador), and classic puffer jackets. But days before that, the actress supported her boyfriend in a custom burgundy Louis Vuitton dress entirely crafted from leather. Holland matched her in a burgundy T-shirt. Over the summer, a Vivienne Westwood dress for Holland's Romeo and Juliet premiere helped Zendaya embrace her Shakespearean side.
Tom Holland and Zendaya don't just save their matching outfits for Nordstrom runs. The pair also coordinated in burgundy for an event in November.
In a year filled with well-dressed couples—Taylor and Travis, Rihanna and A$AP Rocky, Selena and Benny—Zendaya and Tom Holland rose to the top with their casually coordinating 'fits, plus Z's mastery of unusual shoe trends. (See: Her mesh flats on their Italian vacation.) Now that we know the couple can wear just about anything, I have to ask: What do we think was in their Nordstrom bag?
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Halie LeSavage is the senior fashion and beauty news editor at Marie Claire, where she assigns, edits, and writes stories for both sections. Halie is an expert on runway trends, celebrity style, emerging fashion and beauty brands, and shopping (naturally). In over seven years as a professional journalist, Halie’s reporting has ranged from fashion week coverage spanning the Copenhagen, New York, Milan, and Paris markets, to profiles on industry insiders like celebrity stylist Molly Dickson, to breaking news stories on noteworthy brand collaborations and beauty product launches. (She can personally confirm that Bella Hadid’s Ôrebella perfume is worth the hype.) She has also written dozens of research-backed shopping guides to finding the best tote bags, ballet flats, and more. Most of all, Halie loves to explore what style trends—like the rise of emotional support accessories or TikTok’s 75 Hard Style Challenge—can say about culture writ large. She also justifies almost any purchase by saying it’s “for work.”
Halie has previously held writer and editor roles at Glamour, Morning Brew, and Harper’s Bazaar. She has been cited as a fashion and beauty expert in The Cut, CNN Underscored, and Reuters, among other outlets, and appears in newsletters like Selleb and Self Checkout to provide shopping recommendations. In 2022, she earned the Hearst Spotlight Award for excellence and innovation in fashion journalism. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in English from Harvard College. Outside of work, Halie is passionate about books, baking, and her miniature Bernedoodle, Dolly. For a behind-the-scenes look at her reporting, you can follow Halie on Instagram and TikTok.
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