Balenciaga Is Selling These Limited-Edition Shoes For A Whopping $2,700
From runway to bin day, Balenciaga has the shoe for you.
The luxury label has just unveiled its new limited edition 'distressed' kicks, and they look oddly like those manky old Converse you drew on with permanent markers back in high school.
However, these bad boys will set you back an eye-watering US$1,850 (AUD$2,700, £1,524).
Keep in mind that this is the brand that brought us heeled crocs. And platform crocs. Pointy rain boots. Basically, they just really love a weird shoe... or they're laughing at us. It's hard to tell.
Balenciaga is releasing a new pair of shoes, and I have to assume they are just trolling people at this point. pic.twitter.com/IsJaBxCvy6
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) May 9, 2022
Alright, this is the worst sneaker I’ve seen today… Balenciaga has to be trollin pic.twitter.com/nmMTDePmB6
— Seth Fowler (@RealSethFowler) May 9, 2022
In Balenciaga's own words, the shoes are made from 'full destroyed cotton and rubber' with 'rippings all over the fabric'.
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The way you can tell them apart from any other shoe you pull out of the rubbish bin is that they feature Balenciaga-branded graffiti along the side, which definitely looks like it's been drawn on with permanent marker. Yay.
The 'extra-destroyed' kicks are available in black and white, and the luxury brand says it will only sell 100 pairs of these limited edition sneakers.
Depending on how you look at it, is that a bad thing?
balenciaga has got to be running a social experiment to see who’s dumb enough to spend money on the ugliest shit ever made
— SK⚡️ (@raptalksk) May 11, 2022
If you bought the $1,850 Balenciaga sneaker that looks like it was run over by a lawnmower please seek help but also please reach out to me because I would like to understand where your mind was at in that moment.
— brendandunne (@brendandunne) May 10, 2022
If the aftermath-of-zombie-apocalypse-in-shoe-form isn't your style, you can get the same shoe without all the marks and tears for slightly less.
But that doesn't mean people on social media didn't have some points to raise.
One Twitter user said: "Balenciaga is releasing a new pair of shoes, and I have to assume they are just trolling people at this point."
A second user wrote: "Balenciaga has got to be running a social experiment to see who’s dumb enough to spend money on the ugliest s**t ever made."
Balenciaga releases new ‘Paris Sneakers’ collection for $1,850 a pair. pic.twitter.com/IUCE9VCPhH
— Pop Base (@PopBase) May 10, 2022
therapist: it’s ok the $2k distressed balenciaga sneaker can’t hurt you
— anonymous girl online 💌 (@draculasdatter) May 11, 2022
the $2k balenciaga sneaker: pic.twitter.com/ll6TZ3UrET
A third added: "If you bought the $1,850 Balenciaga sneaker that looks like it was run over by a lawnmower please seek help but also please reach out to me because I would like to understand where your mind was at in that moment."
Look, full disclosure: We did try to find a positive comment online, but it just seems like everyone is asking the same thing, which is - what the hell!?
therapist: it’s ok the $2k distressed balenciaga sneaker can’t hurt you
— anonymous girl online 💌 (@draculasdatter) May 11, 2022
the $2k balenciaga sneaker: pic.twitter.com/ll6TZ3UrET
We don't have an answer. No one does.
But, if you do like the look, just wear a pair of Converse for six months straight and have at it with a Sharpie.
After all, it's what the emo kids did back in the late 2000s, so maybe fashion is coming full circle after all.
Rachel Lang