Ilona Maher hit the 2025 ESPY Awards red carpet in heels that tapped into the barely there shoe trend dominating red carpets. The rugby star wore black sandals with a single toe strap, a minimalist vamp and a thin stiletto heel that disappeared under her gown’s hem. The open, low-profile shape lets the rest of the look breathe, anchoring a gown that doesn’t hold back.

For Maher, the heels marked a departure from her usual performance gear. The two-time Olympian and newly minted Adidas athlete helped lead Team USA to a bronze medal win in rugby sevens at the 2024 Paris Olympics, wearing the brand’s Adizero RS15 cleats on the pitch. Her red carpet turn — where she’s nominated for Best Breakthrough Athlete and also serves as an ESPYs board member — showed her just as comfortable trading cleats for high fashion.

The sandal silhouette aligned with this year’s wave of high-skin, low-volume heels — the kind seen across Saint Laurent and LaQuan Smith’s Spring 2025 runways and quickly gaining traction on red carpets. Earlier this week, “I Know What You Did Last Summer” star Madelyn Cline stepped out in nude Lidia mules by Paris Texas, a barely there silhouette. Just a week earlier, Vanessa Kirby opted for a similar approach in black satin stilettos during a Berlin stop on her “Fantastic Four” press tour.

The sandals worked in tandem with Maher’s cutout halter gown, which layered long, draped panels over a fitted skirt. A plunging neckline and side cutouts gave the dress architectural weight. A classic red pedicure mirrored Maher’s lipstick, adding subtle punctuation to the minimalist ensemble.

The 2025 ESPY Awards, hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, air live on Wednesday from the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles at 8 p.m. ET on ABC and stream on ESPN+. The annual event, presented by ESPN, brings together elite athletes, celebrities and sports fans to celebrate the most memorable achievements, moments and stories from the past year in sports.