Welcome to the Viral Tory-verse

Tory Burch's internet-loved pierced mule is everywhere—what's her secret?

When the entire front row at New York Fashion Week wears the same shoe, you know you’ve got a hit style.

On September 9, Jodie Turner-Smith, Mindy Kaling, Elizabeth Olsen, Michelle Williams, and countless other less famous faces showed up at Brooklyn's newly aqua-tiled penthouse event space in the old Domino Sugar Factory to watch the latest Tory Burch runway show—all wearing the Pierced Mule. It was the same shoe, different font. Turner-Smith wore a rich hazelnut high-heeled pierced pump. Kaling appeared in the chocolate brown version, and Williams wore white. And that’s not counting the square-toe slanted wedge rendition, Coconut slingbacks with silver hardware, and several pierced colorways spotted one, two, and three rows back.

This was not your standard PR push. If VIPs in coordinated looks is a publicity coup, then what is a room filled with women who all examined their closets that morning and selected the same shoe? A bonafide viral sensation, that’s what it is.

The Pierced Mule, which debuted as part of Tory Burch's Spring/Summer 2023 collection, was an immediate must-have amongst fashion editors and the creator set. But it wasn’t until Lyst reported that searches for the brand were up 15 percent that quarter and spotlighted the pierced mules on its "Q3 Hottest Products" list that it was clear everyone wanted a piece of the shoe. Identifying a fashion phenomenon is one thing, but codifying why exactly it resonates is another. What is it about the pointed end and nose ring-esque toe piercing that's so appealing? Perhaps, it's the sheer eccentricity of an edgy punk detail paired with a ladylike silhouette. Maybe, as Mindy Kaling puts it, we all just want to wear jewelry on our feet.

"I love jewelry in unexpected places, and I feel like I'm wearing a beautiful piece of hardware in a place where we don't always see it," says Kaling from the front row on Monday, moments before the brand's runway show began. "And I like taking up space, so I love these shoes." The Sex Lives of College Girls creator also cites quality, craftsmanship, and a touch of the unexpected as ingredients in Burch's secret sauce.

The pierced mule's wow factor illustrates a made-you-look element that's present in many of Burch’s best designs. "I wanted you to look at things and think of something, but then look closer and think of something else," explains the designer while pointing to her favorite looks backstage after her show. In her Spring/Summer 2025 collection, Burch debuted two new prints that appear almost conventional at first glance—a flame motif jacquard and abstract grayscale print—but are really quite psychedelic up close.

The former, appearing on a sumptuously oversized early spring coat and cool-girl trousers worn over a glittering swimsuit (more on that later), is a manipulated illustration of swimmers, Burch says. The latter print, as seen on a silk viscose skirt with a malleable waist, reads as a riff on snakeskin but hides "goblins and witches" in its swirls. Burch's sense of humor often finds its outlet in prints. The designer debuted a gloriously kookie cat-themed collection in August, putting a blown-up feline print (shot by photographer Walter Schels) on tops, skirts, handbags, and more.

Her latest collection, a purposely non-sporty take on sports uniforms, channels this attention-grabbing ethos more than any other. It was shown in a space transformed to evoke the sensation of sitting at the bottom of a public pool. A lifeguard's whistle started the procession of movement-inspired garments that streamed down the runway on the backs of It girls like Paloma Elsesser, Irina Shayk, and Alexa Chung. See that swimsuit and judo pants in Look 24? That’s a sequined nylon bodysuit and luxurious trousers. Think you know where that gorgeous dress with the mesh paneling is going? Think again because, believe it or not, it was inspired by the likes of Travis Kelce.

Burch expertly threads the needle between in-joke and inspiration, never going too obvious with her references. Her latest is more like a cheeky reversal of athleisure—clothes that read as gym-ready from afar but become event-worthy up close—than a true sports collection. "These [pieces] were inspired by football jerseys and rugby shirts," explains Burch while pointing to a plum sequined shirtdress no one would ever mistake for a linebacker's gear. "You know, it's kind of such a light reference that I didn't want it to be literal." Her Spring/Summer 2025 inspiration notes put it best: "This collection began with the true essence of sport: power and grace, precision and movement."

If you didn’t clock it on your first scroll through the collection, there’s also a new pierced bag, a design that's been almost two years in the making, according to Burch. "I wanted the simplicity of form that the mule has," she says. "Actually, on the pierced bag, you can remove the charm more easily—and swap for gold or silver." The resulting design, an asymmetrical crescent-shaped bag with a gold piercing on polished leather, offers a sophisticated Tory Burch take on the bag charm trend and a whole new category for the viral pierced style.

The pierced motif is becoming a fashion signature almost as recognizable as the double-T logo. Instead of the in-your-face branding, signature monograms, and logomania favored by certain luxury houses, Burch says she's more inspired of late by the idea of ownable design trademarks. "The Pierced is definitely one of them," she says when asked what she sees as the next generation of Tory Burch design codes. "I think that's a new code for us."

Of course, this isn’t the only (or even the first) viral hit that's come from the mind of Tory Burch. The fashion founder has an eye for shape and an intuitive sense of what’s just shy of avant-garde, so that her clothes remain wearable yet always interesting to look at. A jersey mini with bouncy hoop skirt, which debuted on Emily Ratajkowski in last spring's collection, took the world by storm. A ballet pink colorway proved especially covetable, showing up on the likes Hailey Bieber and Selena Gomez, as well as influencer Alix Earle, who opted for the black version with netted paneling.

Brazilian actress Bruna Marquezine, who sat front row next to KiKi Layne, Kilo Kish, and Ivy Getty to view yesterday's runway show, wore a midi version of the hoop, citing not just its shape, but how the dress makes her feel as its true sticking factor. "I'm feeling gorgeous in this dress tonight," she says, smiling at her hoop hem. "I don't know how to put it, but I feel like a lot of it is related to [Tory Burch's] essence—the way she approaches things, how her clothes make you feel."

Beyond shape and humor, Burch's eclectic mix of references and deep knowledge of fashion history contribute to her work's staying power. She understands the importance of heritage and often honors it in her work. "I always go back to the Claire McCardell collection that was [debuted] in spring 2021," says Jalil Johnson, writer of the Consider Yourself Cultured newsletter. "It was really an ode to a genius in American history."

Tory Burch also has a knack for reading the room. That triumphant post-pandemic return—the buzzy aforementioned Claire McCardell monastic dress collection shown at an outdoor market in New York City—provided a much-needed breath of fresh air (literally and figuratively) in a stagnant industry, stifled and still recovering from lockdowns.

Her Spring/Summer 2025 collection also seems well-timed. Whether or not the designer consciously considers the zeitgeist while creating, there's no denying an athletic-inspired collection shown against an Olympic pool backdrop (complete with athlete-worthy swim silhouettes, uniform motifs, and slicked-back wet hair), plays especially well just weeks after the Paris games and while fashion TikTok's obsession with vintage sports jerseys and blokecore remains at an all-time high.

So, what's the next big Tory Burch viral hit? My money’s on the twisted heel, an exceptional take on the classic peep toe for spring. "The twisted ballet became really interesting when we twisted the heel," says Burch. "And if you look at the whole foot, it's twisted." Another contender: Burch's new sculptural skirt designed with a customizable waistline. "You can mold the waist so that it can float off your body. Or it can be folded down," she says, named the style as the one all the models in the show were most excited to wear.

Also, there's the Reva. Arguably the designer's earliest (and possibly greatest) hit, The Reva Flat—a ballet style named after Burch’s mother—made its triumphant runway return this season worn with linen pants and a glittering swimsuit. With fashion's ballet flat fever still burning and the boho revival just around the corner, it’s an inspired move to bring back the beloved style, if not a somewhat predictable one.

However, just like all the best Tory Burch designs, the shoe was an unexpected hit when it first debuted. The Reva's namesake attended the show herself, lending a choice quote Burch cites in the Spring/Summer 2025 collection notes: "'I never thought I'd be famous for a shoe,' my mother Reva said when our ballet flat debuted in 2006. Now it's back; I love you, Mom."

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