Nothing says “I’ve never tried motocross” like wearing a pair of enormous pointy motocross boots, which is fine because I doubt neither Balenciaga or Demna are claiming to have.
The big pointy numbers — akin to the label's Excavator rainboot that was first seen on the runway in 2020 — were debuted at the house’s highly-anticipated return to Paris Fashion Week on March 5, in what was Balenciaga’s first time presenting a collection since its 2022 campaign scandal.
The show, which was expected to be a somber reuniin, turned out to be more expansive than many had predicted, with a playful mix of structured tailoring and floral dresses, contrasted with Balenciaga's typically alien sportswear.
The fact the show was set inside of Paris’ iconic underground shopping mall Carrousel du Louvre also suggested we haven’t yet seen the end of Demna’s playful side, as did the inflatable airbag-like hoodies and wild eyewear.
Now to those boots; those big, pointy, pre-scuffed motocross boots.
Paired with trousers, leggings, and bare legs, Balenciaga’s pointy motocross boots proved the focal point of otherwise mostly monochromatic ‘fits, and was Demna revisiting the halcyon days (I’m talking 2k16) of Vetements, where motorcycle-inspired looks were on the reg.
Red, green, blue, or all-black, each colorway came equipped with contrasting layers aplenty, and an imprinted Balenciaga motif to the tip of the tongue.
In what was undeniably a stripped back take of the Balenciaga we’ve come to expect, and also a homage to the work of the house's founder Cristobal Balenciaga, the pointy motocross boots served as a timely reminder that Balenciaga is still ready to do things its own way — but maybe just a little more thought-out this time.
