Balenciaga launches 'fully destroyed' sneakers worth a whopping P100,000
Would you ever buy brand new shoes that look already worn out? Balenciaga unveiled one of its most bizarre shoe collections yet: fully destroyed sneakers. And despite its beat-up look, the price of these kicks is out of this world.
These latest shoes are a severely tattered, distressed version of its Paris Sneaker collection, available in high and low top styles. But while the standard version costs $625 (P33,000), the scuffed up iteration goes for a whopping $1,850 (almost P100,000).
The shoes feature rippings all over the fabric, dirtied midsole, and a rustic-looking Balenciaga logo printed at the edge of the toe. They actually look like a pair of beaters—sneakers that someone wears on the daily
According to Balenciaga, the destroyed line "suggests that Paris Sneakers are meant to be worn for a lifetime." Only 100 of the sneakers have been produced.
For the shoe launch, the brand released photos of shoes that look extremely destroyed—the real product on their website does not look this tattered—and this raised some eyebrows online.
Balenciaga's new "distressed" range of shoes starting at $625 is basically the rich cosplaying as poor. pic.twitter.com/1iX1WYq2Q7
— Dank Left (@LaterCapitalism) May 10, 2022
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
Why is poverty now an aesthetic for rich people???? pic.twitter.com/jkZgKH22vu
— X Æ A-XII (@MessiahMajid) May 10, 2022
No one:
— Saint Hoax (@SaintHoax) May 10, 2022
The new Balenciaga sneakers: pic.twitter.com/AvHqJPZjc3
Ethical fashion campaigner Livia Firth said she found the new limited sneakers "offensive."
"To buy something so destroyed is beyond offensive towards people I actually met who wore shoes like this because they couldn't afford basic meals. On the other side what is Balenciaga trying to say?" she wrote on Instagram.
In the past, Balenciaga has released the most peculiar fashion pieces like the Crocs heels, Toolbox Bag, an $88 coffee cup, and a $2,000 shopping bag.