Nicki Minaj’s Standout Shoe Style Through the Years

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Aside from being one of the hottest rappers of this decade, Nicki Minaj is a style icon. The rapper broke out onto the hip hop scene in 2009 with her iconic mixtape “Beam Me Up Scotty” and a very New York-based look. She was recognized for oversized bangs with pink highlights, large gold bamboo earrings and her diamond-encrusted “Barbie” chain. When the “Super Bass” artist isn’t inspiring others with her colorful wigs and ostentatious outfits, Minaj is calling attention to her footwear.

Here, some of her standout shoe styles and fashion statements over the years.

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Nicki Minaj wore Christian Louboutin sandals on the 2010 AMAs red carpet. - Credit: Getty Images.
Nicki Minaj wore Christian Louboutin sandals on the 2010 AMAs red carpet. - Credit: Getty Images.

Getty Images.

At the 2010 American Music Awards, Minaj wore a dress by Manish Arora that was created to look like a skeleton. She paired it with a pair of gold and pink strappy Christian Louboutin sandals for a bold look.

Nicki Minaj hosts at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas, Dec. 31, 2012. - Credit: MEGA
Nicki Minaj hosts at Pure Nightclub in Las Vegas, Dec. 31, 2012. - Credit: MEGA

MEGA

In 2012, Minaj celebrated New Year’s Eve in Las Vegas at Pure Nightclub. For the occasion, she opted for a Hervé Léger bodycon dress paired with rhinestone-studded platform heels. These gold strass “Daffodile” platforms by Christian Louboutin feature Italian leather covered in Swarovski crystals; they retail for $1,560. Sky-high crystal platforms were also a favorite of Kim Kardashian, Paris Hilton and Jennifer Lopez that same year.

At the 2014 BET Awards wearing Giuseppe Zanotti gladiator heels. - Credit: Getty Images.
At the 2014 BET Awards wearing Giuseppe Zanotti gladiator heels. - Credit: Getty Images.

Getty Images.

Onstage, Minaj favors Giuseppe Zanotti for performances, wearing the designer’s strappy heels, sneakers and bold, embellished booties. In 2014, she wore the brand while entertaining the crowd at the BET Awards.

Nicki Minaj takes the stage at the 2015 American Music Awards in Christian Louboutin. - Credit: Getty Images.
Nicki Minaj takes the stage at the 2015 American Music Awards in Christian Louboutin. - Credit: Getty Images.

Getty Images.

At the 2015 AMAs, Minaj proved that she’s not afraid to recycle a great pair of shoes. When she took the stage to accept her win for Best Rap/Hip-Hop Album, the same pair of Louboutins peeked out from under her powder pink Michael Costello gown.

Nicki Minaj at LAX on July 13, 2015. - Credit: MEGA
Nicki Minaj at LAX on July 13, 2015. - Credit: MEGA

MEGA

Minaj was spotted leaving Los Angeles International Airport on July 13, 2015 in a Moschino crop top and black leggings paired with platform booties. The chunky platform boots added a grunge feel to the outfit. Minaj has worn similar chunky boots by Alexander Wang and Giuseppe Zanotti.

Nicki Minaj at The Daily’s 3rd Annual Los Angeles Fashion Awards on April 2, 2017. - Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA
Nicki Minaj at The Daily’s 3rd Annual Los Angeles Fashion Awards on April 2, 2017. - Credit: Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

Xavier Collin/Image Press Agency/MEGA

Boots are a staple in the “Moment 4 Life” rapper’s closet. Instead of ankle boots, she opted for knee-high silhouettes with a Versace wrap mini dress for The Daily’s 3rd Annual Fashion Los Angeles Awards in 2017. The Versace sneaker-inspired boots are made of navy stretch neoprene with black Italian leather accents and crimson heels and laces. The footwear retail for $1,825.

Nicki Minaj leaving Oscar de la Renta fashion show at Sotheby’s Sept. 11, 2017. - Credit: MEGA
Nicki Minaj leaving Oscar de la Renta fashion show at Sotheby’s Sept. 11, 2017. - Credit: MEGA

MEGA

In 2017, Minaj stunned at the NYFW spring 2018 Oscar de la Renta fashion show in a white and black hooded fur coat and sandals. The Christian Louboutin “Blakissima” bow heels feature the iconic red soles and patent leather material; they retail for $895.

Nicki Minaj arrives at Harper’s Bazaar Icons party in NYC on Sept. 7, 2018. - Credit: Image Press Agency/MEGA
Nicki Minaj arrives at Harper’s Bazaar Icons party in NYC on Sept. 7, 2018. - Credit: Image Press Agency/MEGA

Image Press Agency/MEGA

The rapper is known for her wild choice of prints and bold colors. At the Harper’s Bazaar Icons party on Sept. 7, 2018, Minaj wore a beaded tiger-striped ball gown by Alexandre Vauthier and leopard heels by Saint Laurent. The pumps featured a pointed toe design and skinny ankle strap made with leopard-printed calf hair.

Nicki Minaj arrives at the Met Gala in NYC on May 6, 2019. - Credit: MCG/MEGA
Nicki Minaj arrives at the Met Gala in NYC on May 6, 2019. - Credit: MCG/MEGA

MCG/MEGA

At the 2019 Met Gala, the “Pink Friday” rapper wore an all-pink ensemble for the “Camp: Notes on Fashion” theme. Her baby pink Prabal Gurung dress incorporated a cathedral train, but still showed off thigh-high lace-up platforms. The custom Brother Vellies heels laced up to Minaj’s upper thigh and had tiny crystal on the laces.

Nicki Minaj arriving at Marc Jacobs fall 2020 runway show during New York Fashion Week. - Credit: MEGA
Nicki Minaj arriving at Marc Jacobs fall 2020 runway show during New York Fashion Week. - Credit: MEGA

MEGA

For Marc Jacobs’ fall 2020 NYFW show, Minaj wore the brand’s $9,000 floral babydoll dress with suede knee-high boots by Balmain. The “Jane” boots featured Italian suede with the Balmain “BB” logo embossed on the material. The shoes retailed for $1,395.

Click through the gallery to see more of Nicki Minaj’s shoe style through the years.

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