Balenciaga is selling ‘distressed’ sneakers for R29k and people don’t get why

If luxury fashion house Balenciaga wanted to get the masses talking, they have achieved their goal after the brand recently unveiled a new campaign promoting some destroyed sneakers with an astonishing R29,626 ($1,850) price tag. 

The “Paris Sneaker” campaign was shot by photographer Leopold Duchemin who captured the shoes, which some have described as “f***ed up,” in a studio setting against a white backdrop.

The images went viral as many sought to understand what Balenciaga was looking to achieve with the drop.

According to a report by CNN, the images are actually of exaggerated, limited edition versions of the sneakers that Balenciaga is selling.

Only 100 pairs of the “extra destroyed” sneakers pictured in the viral images will be available to buy for the $1,850 price tag. 

Cheaper versions have also been made available as part of the range’s non-limited edition series and they appear “less roughed up” versions.

Sneakers from the non-limited edition series are available on the Balenciaga website for R7,927 ($495) and R10,009 ($625) – prices vary according to the desired style.

As usual, many took to social media to express their shock at the look of the sneakers while others simply joked about their appearance.

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Balenciaga was founded in Paris in the late 1930’s by Spaniard by Cristobal Balenciaga, the son of a seamstress.

The brand is currently under the leadership of Vetements co-founder, Georgian fashion designer, Demna Gvasalia who took over from Alexander Wang in 2015. 

He has previously worked with brands such as Margiela and Louis Vuitton but went on to launch Vetements to give him the room he needed to venture into the world of streetwear, something he is known for being fond of.