High fashion or dubious taste? Balenciaga's destroyed sneaker causes controversy

Opinion Image: Balenciaga Paris Sneaker It is not often a sneaker can cause equal parts awe and antipathy, but Balenciaga’s latest limited edition Paris Sneaker release, made of destroyed cotton and rubber, has done just that. The shoe in question, which loosely resembles a Converse All Star, retails for 1,290 pounds (1,850 dollars, 1,450 euros) and is as intentionally distressed and worn-out as its name suggests. To most eyes outside of the luxury sphere, these trainers look as if they ended their lifespan long ago. In the product details section on the Balenciaga website the description states the shoe has rippings all over the fabric, a Balenciaga graffiti logo in color contrast on the sole, an embossed size at the back, a vulcanized sole and it is manufactured in China. The Paris-based luxury house offers many variations of the sneaker: high-cut, low and mule versions, in black, white and red, but only 100 pairs of its ‘full destroyed’ edition. Luxury items made to 'look poor' The shoe was quickly called out by fashion watchdog Diet Prada on Instagram, where comments such as “I guess it’s only okay to look poor but not actually be poor. Such a joke,” said one user. Another stated “Smells like rich people romanticising the poor and homelessness.” Commenting on sustainability, another wrote: “I hope they practiced waste-led design and fished these sneakers straight from the landfills because that would be genius.” And that is precisely where the antipathy comes in. To be made to look like an item that came from landfill with fabric destroyed to the point of ruination, making it seem as if it barely survived the arduous journey of its wearer and to top that with a large graffiti logo.
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