Charli XCX opened Day 1 of Sziget Festival in boots that did not come to play. The Moldovan-made pair by Fidan Novruzova — part pant leg, part fetishwear, all silhouette — grounded her high-cut performance look with an industrial edge.

Built in black leather, the Havva Chunky Heel Boots featured a tall, unbroken shaft and Novruzova’s signature square toe, which jutted forward with a deliberate, almost cartoonish severity. A padded footbed, inner ankle zipper and tonal block heel kept the construction functional. The only embellishment came from the shape itself — designed to hold its own from 30 feet back.

Charli styled them with a custom yellow bralette and high-waisted brief by Willy Chavarria, layered over ribbed black tights. She completed her on-stage look with Balenciaga’s Bossy Cat sunglasses and a deep side part reminiscent of Y2K hair trends.

This isn’t her first round with Novruzova. Back in June, she wore the same boots at Glastonbury, styled with a skull-print McQueen scarf top and leather micro-shorts — a look that leaned darker but hit the same notes: leather, contrast and confidence.

It also fits the moment. In July, she was credited with reigniting Gen Z’s Von Dutch obsession after her single “Von Dutch” sent the brand back into the algorithm. Weeks later, she dropped a Converse “By You” collab built around worn-in textures and Brat-coded embellishments. The Novruzova boots land somewhere in between — unscuffed but menacing, like something from a sci-fi dystopia. The pairing also deepens Charli’s quiet alignment with emerging global designers; Novruzova, a 2024 LVMH Prize semifinalist, has been spotlighted by stylists looking to push past the Paris-N.Y. circuit.

Held on Óbuda Island in Budapest, the 2025 edition of Sziget Festival runs from Aug. 6 to 11 and brings together a genre-crossing lineup of global heavyweights. Post Malone, Shawn Mendes, Chappell Roan, and FKA Twigs are among the top acts, with Kid Cudi stepping in for A$AP Rocky.