Meta description : From HBO’s debut to the blue Hangisi, discover the real timeline, brands and facts behind Carrie Bradshaw’s legendary shoes.
Four words changed fashion on TV: Carrie Bradshaw wore Manolos. From the first HBO episode in 1998 to the reboot decades later, her shoes became plot points, punchlines, even love stories. The character turned a designer label into a household name and made a New York closet feel like a museum of desire.
Here is the concrete, sourced history. “Sex and the City” ran on HBO from 1998 to 2004 across 94 episodes, followed by two films in 2008 and 2010, then the revival “And Just Like That” in 2021 on Max – all source: HBO and Warner Bros. In season 4’s “Ring a Ding Ding”, Carrie admits she has “spent $40,000 on shoes” – source: HBO. Manolo Blahnik sits at the heart of this story, Jimmy Choo rides shotgun, and the blue satin Hangisi pump becomes the engagement ring that was not a ring in the 2008 film – source: Manolo Blahnik and New Line Cinema.
Carrie Bradshaw’s shoes: from HBO debut to global obsession
The main idea lands quickly: Carrie’s shoes evolved from New York street style to global symbols of aspiration. The show’s first season in 1998 already name-checks luxury footwear, and by the late seasons the closet has a life of its own. Six seasons, countless pavements, one unmistakable silhouette.
Viewers saw a problem many secretly know: the math of taste. The character wants romance and independence, then faces the bill. That $40,000 line still resonates because it spells out the cost of fantasy – with receipts. Not judgmental, just true to life.
By the time the first movie premiered in 2008, a shoe had become narrative closure. The blue satin Hangisi with crystal buckle – a Manolo Blahnik style sold in 70, 90 and 105 mm heel heights – stands in for a ring and history clicks into place – source: Manolo Blahnik.
Manolo Blahnik and Jimmy Choo: how SATC changed luxury footwear
Fashion director Patricia Field pulled from showrooms and mixed high with low, but two names stuck in pop culture. Manolo Blahnik gained consistent on-screen devotion as Carrie’s north star. Jimmy Choo earned scene-stealing mentions early on and rode the wave of late 90s sleek minimalism – sources widely documented by HBO and contemporary fashion press like Vogue.
Context matters. “Sex and the City” arrived when television rarely treated accessories as character traits. Here, a shoe marked a mood. Breakups, reconciliations, missed cabs – the footwear did not just match the outfit, it told the story in close-up. Audiences learned to pronounce “Manolo Blahnik” at home, then spotted the same pump in shop windows days later.
One more data point to anchor the impact: the franchise returned in 2021 with “And Just Like That”, and the shoes kept talking. Nostalgia met new silhouettes while legacy models resurfaced on screen – source: Max and HBO press notes.
Iconic moments: the blue Hangisi and other on-screen firsts
The blue satin Hangisi is the moment everyone remembers because cinema froze on it. In the 2008 film, the shoe became an engagement symbol tucked inside a custom closet – source: New Line Cinema. That is not a marketing campaign, that is plot.
There were other firsts that mattered. The show treated a pair of Mary Janes as a museum piece in a fashion closet scene, turning “collector” into a relatable word for everyday fans of style – source: HBO episode storyline. Carrie’s apartment hallway – repeatedly shot, always narrow – worked like a runway for pointed pumps and slim sandals, practical or not. The details were miniscule yet sticky: toe shapes, jewel buckles, a flash of satin against concrete.
Practical note for readers who rewatch or shop: Manolo’s Hangisi often appears in 105 mm for dramatic angles, while lower heights exist for daily wear – source: Manolo Blahnik. That explains why a TV stride can feel different than real-life commute steps.
After the series: SJP Collection, resale heat and And Just Like That
The story did not end with the credits. Sarah Jessica Parker launched the SJP Collection in 2014 with George Malkemus III, longtime Manolo Blahnik executive – source: Vogue 2014. The line nods to Carrie’s palette without copying exact screen pairs, and it keeps the idea of shoes-as-plot alive for a new generation.
The secondary market followed the nostalgia curve. When the reboot “And Just Like That” landed in 2021, searches for legacy styles surged on resale platforms, especially for jeweled pumps and pointed satin – a pattern regularly flagged by fashion trade press and platform reports. The cause is simple: a new episode drops, an old silhouette trends.
For readers mapping the timeline, these checkpoints help situate the myth against confirmed dates and screens :
- 1998 to 2004 : “Sex and the City” airs on HBO for 94 episodes – source: HBO.
- 2008 : The first feature film debuts and the blue Manolo Blahnik Hangisi becomes an on-screen engagement icon – sources: New Line Cinema, Manolo Blahnik.
- 2010 : Second film extends the wardrobe era on the big screen – source: Warner Bros.
- 2014 : Sarah Jessica Parker launches SJP Collection with George Malkemus III – source: Vogue.
- 2021 : “And Just Like That” premieres on Max, reviving classic pairs on new storylines – source: Max.
Why this arc still pulls interest today is not a mystery. The numbers anchor the memory – 6 seasons, 2 films, 1 reboot – and the shoes carry emotional weight. A pair of Manolo Blahniks meant risk and reward. A pair of Jimmy Choos meant a night out. The Hangisi meant yes without saying the word.