Billie Eilish has been embracing Y2K style for a while now. From her signature oversized t-shirts to wearing those loose, baggy pants known as culottes, along with her affinity for plaid, she's leaned fully into the early 2000s aesthetic. She took her love for the era to a whole new level this week when she put on a pair of skater shoes that only an eagle-eyed millennial will recognize.
While attending the climate change summit OVERHEATED in Berlin at Festsaal Kreuzberg — presented by Billie Eilish and Support+Feed — Eilish stepped onto stage on Friday, May 9, with a team of activists to discuss how people can band together and take action against the climate crisis.
Eilish used the opportunity to support the cause while also wearing a beloved skater sneaker that once had a hold on millennial teens everywhere. The Grammy winner wore an oversized plaid, zip-up sweatshirt with basketball shorts and a pair of all-black Etnies. The signature sideways “E” on the side of the black shoe stood out as Eilish walked onto stage, sending us back to the days when Etnies were worn by the masses.
The skater shoe brand, which first debuted in 1987, had a huge moment in the late '90s and early 2000s — along with other skate shoes from brands like DC and Vans. While Eilish's aesthetic has heavily leaned into aughts fashion, wearing Etnies to a climate change summit was fitting, given the company's eco-friendly efforts. Etnies launched its Buy a Shoe, Plant a Tree project in 2011, and according to its website, has since planted more than 2.3 million trees.
Is this moment marking the official return of Etnies? Will we see a surge in the chunky skater shoe look on more people? It's hard to say. With the return of low-rise jeans, capris, and ballet flats, another early aughts fashion trend making a comeback isn't out of the realm of possibility.
