Remember that time last year when Balenciaga had the entire fashion industry up in arms? No, not that time, I’m talking about when they released their "luxurious" version of poverty in the form the frankly disgusting pre-distressed Paris Sneakers.
You remember, the yellow-ish hi-top silhouette that appeared to have been unearthed after hundreds of years of underground hibernation, dragged through the sewers, left to dry, and then sold for $1,850.
Well Balenciaga is bringing them back for 2023, albeit half the size, slip-on, and not nearly as revolting as their grotty cigarette-stained predecessor.
Retailing online now for $750 (which actually seems cheap in comparison to last year’s Paris Sneaker), 2023’s slip-on iteration arrives with all the details we've come to expect from its 2022 debut, but this time it’s coming in pre-distressed.
The off-white vulcanized sole is decorated with black scuff marks with the Balenciaga logo at the toe, while a denim-effect upper comes already pre-faded and equipped with, frankly, useless laces.
For those that had the displeasure of holding a pair of last year’s Paris Sneakers IRL, you’ll be relieved to know that these mules aren’t nearly as grim. In fact, by Balenciaga’s pre-distressed levels they’re relatively tame.
That being said, it'll still cost you no less than $750 to own a pair of sneakers that look like they’ve been cut in half with a pair of dirty scissors and then dragged through a hedge backwards. But hey, each to their own.
