Anne Hathaway’s Aquazzura platform sandals add height and polish at Breakthrough Prize

Anne Hathaway just made the case for heavier shoes on a formal carpet. At the Breakthrough Prize, she swapped the sleeker pumps she had been leaning on during her press run for Aquazzura’s Aimée Sandal Plateau 130, and the move gave her gown a sharper frame, more height, and a lot more attitude.

The shoe shift that changed the whole look

This is the kind of swap that reads instantly in motion. A pump keeps the line clean, but a platform sandal changes the body under the dress: it lifts the hem, steadies the stance, and gives the silhouette more ground presence. Hathaway’s Aquazzura pair did all of that without turning the look into a noisy fashion stunt, which is exactly why it worked.

The sandal’s appeal is in the balance. The 130 mm block heel creates serious altitude, while the platform sole takes the sting out of the pitch and makes the height look intentional instead of precarious. Add the slingback strap, padded leather insole, and pared-back upper, and the shoe stays visually tidy even as it does a lot of work.

Why platforms beat pumps here

Hathaway wore the sandals with a draped one-shoulder gown and Bvlgari jewelry, and that combination is the whole lesson. A dress with soft folds and one bare shoulder needs a shoe that has some weight under it, otherwise the look can feel top-heavy or too delicate. The platform gives the gown a stronger base, so the fabric can fall with more authority instead of floating away.

That is where platforms are better than a classic pump: when you want the dress to feel anchored, when the hem needs a little lift, or when the mood calls for glamour with a bit of muscle. Pumps are still the right answer for razor-sharp tailoring and narrow hemlines. Platforms are the move when you want the silhouette to read bigger, bolder, and less precious.

Aquazzura’s answer is polish, not clutter

Aquazzura knows this lane well. The Aimée Sandal Plateau 130 is a metallic-leather style with a 70s-inspired silhouette, stabilizing platform soles, a slingback strap, a padded leather insole, and signature logo detailing. It has enough personality to register on a red carpet, but not so much decoration that it starts fighting the gown.

The brand’s international site prices the shoe at $1,220, which puts it squarely in luxury-event territory. That price makes sense when you look at the construction: a high platform, a block heel, and the kind of finish designed to hold up under cameras, movement, and long standing-room carpet time. This is not a flimsy statement shoe. It is built like one that expects to be seen from every angle.

Why Hathaway keeps coming back to Aquazzura

This was not a one-off flirtation with the brand. Hathaway wore Aquazzura Sundance gold platform sandals to the premiere of *The Idea of You* in Austin on March 16, 2024, so the label has already been in her red-carpet rotation for at least two years. That matters because repeat wear is the real sign of trust in celebrity styling. It means the shoes are not just borrowed for one night; they actually fit the way she wants to dress.

And Hathaway has more reasons than ever to keep dressing like a headline. WWD says she has five major theatrical releases lined up in 2026: *Mother Mary* in April, *The Devil Wears Prada 2* in May, *The Odyssey* in July, *Flowervale Street* in August, and *Verity* in October. That is a huge visibility run, and it explains why her footwear is getting more deliberate. When every appearance counts, you stop treating shoes like a footnote.

The Breakthrough Prize gives the look a different kind of stage

The setting matters too. The Breakthrough Prize is an annual global ceremony that honors new scientific laureates and brings in celebrity presenters and live performances, which gives the carpet a specific energy: polished, starry, and a little bit cerebral. In 2026, the Breakthrough Prize Foundation said the total prize money came to $18.75 million, including six $3 million prizes, 15 New Horizons Prizes worth $100,000 each, and three Maryam Mirzakhani New Frontiers Prizes worth $50,000 each.

That kind of event asks for glamour with substance. A platform sandal fits because it has presence without looking sugary. It also photographs better than a flimsy heel under long gowns, especially when the dress is draped and the jewelry is doing its own quiet flex. The ceremony is set to premiere on YouTube on April 26, 2026 at 3 p.m. Eastern, 12 p.m. Pacific, so this look is about to travel far beyond the room it was worn in.

What to take from Hathaway’s switch

If the last few seasons taught anything, it is that red-carpet polish is getting heavier again. Hathaway’s switch from a sleeker pump to Aquazzura’s toweringly practical platform sandal shows how that shift works in real life: more height, a firmer stance, a better relationship with draped fabric, and a little more force behind the whole image.

That is the new trick. When the gown is fluid and the moment calls for certainty, the platform wins. It gives the look a cleaner landing and a more commanding finish, and Anne Hathaway just proved that a shoe with a little more weight can make the entire outfit feel more expensive.