Luxury fashion brand, Balenciaga, which is known for its over-the-top products, has launched its limited collection of overly distressed sneakers called ‘Paris Sneaker’, which has left the internet baffled.
Available in red, black, and white colors, the newly-launched product has been released in high top and mule varieties and costs $1,850. The sneakers are available for pre-order and have been made with fully-destroyed cotton and rubber and feature ripping on its entire fabric, according to a statement on the official website of the fashion brand. The brand’s logo has been printed at the edge of the toe and its graffiti logo in color contrast is there on the sole.
The company said in a press release that the shabby-looking aesthetic of the sneakers aims to suggest that “they are meant to be worn for a lifetime”.
Social Media Reactions to Balenciaga’s Distressed Sneakers
Initially, when news of the sneakers broke, several social media users thought it was a joke until it was on full display on the fashion brand’s official website.
Social media users then started reacting to the worn-out look of the footwear. A user wrote that if someone bought the $1,850 Balenciaga sneaker that “looked like it was run over by a lawnmower, the person should seek help”. He also asked that anyone buying it should reach out to him as he wanted to understand what made them buy the sneakers.
Another trolled the brand by posting a photo of the sneakers and wrote, “These are the brand-new Balenciaga Paris sneakers that are being sold for $1850.” According to him, “Mad people have been ahead of the trend for years”.
Another Twitter user tweeted a video to associate the sneakers with garbage. Another user even tagged actor-singer, Diljit Dosanjh, asking him if he would go with these sneakers. Dosanjh is a huge fan of different types of sneakers and is known for his footwear collection.
Others accused the fashion house of classism and glamorizing poverty. “I guess it’s only okay to look poor but not actually be poor. Such a joke,” one Twitter user wrote, while another added: “Smells like rich people romanticizing the poor and homelessness”.
Meanwhile, the shoes have been available in European markets. The US and Middle East stores will get the collection on May 16, 2022, while Japan is expected to have it on May 19, 2022.
It’s far from the first time that Balenciaga has generated controversy in some of its designs.
In March this year, the fashion house released a $925 bag that bore a striking resemblance to a vintage blue and white striped plastic Tesco carrier bags of the past.
In 2021, the brand was accused of cultural appropriation by fashion and history experts over a pair of their $860 sweatpants.
Associate Professor of Africana Studies at California State University, Marquita Gammage, told local media that the sweatpants exploit “Black culture with the hopes of securing major profits”.
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