You’ll be forgiven for not having heard of Balenciaga, the Spanish designer luxury brand. You’ll not be forgiven for not having heard of Crocs, though; the brand of rubber footwear which most self-respecting adults shy away from. The Spanish design house, though, had quite an ingenious idea: why not mingle Spanish luxe with shoes that look like wearable Swiss cheese?
This is exactly what they did for Paris Fashion Week earlier this month. Balenciaga transformed an ordinary pair of Crocs into four-inch platform heels, which they’re calling ‘The Foam’. The shoes — scheduled to go on sale in Spring next year — themselves will look exactly as any other Crocs, with the open back, strap, and ventilation holes. But Balenciaga decided some embellishment was in order — so they chose to stick various pins on them. We’re not entirely sure whether the pins will come out of the box, and we’re not sure anyone’s really looking forward to the pins. Or the shoes themselves.
In fact, the Internet, and the couture experts of the world have branded the Balenciaga Crocs “the ugliest shoes ever made”. This assessment might be a tad harsh and hyperbolic, but it’s not difficult to see where this criticism comes from.
The folks at Balenciaga were drawn to the “innovative design” of Crocs, and the fact that they’re made from a unique “one-piece foam”, and could, in the future just be 3D-printed at home.
Yes, Balenciaga believes high fashion exists in shoes which could just be printed in your bedroom at some point. I’m not sure if they’ve spotted the irony hiding behind the shoes, which will be available in bright yellow, earthy green, and brilliant pink. That’s some innovative naming work by the guys in the creative department, right there.
These Crocs beg the question of their life purpose. Where do you wear them to? What do you wear them with? What is life? Who are we after all? For me, my trusted blue flip-flops have tackled rain, gravel, and crowded trains with quite enough elan, thank you.
—Made from one-piece foam
—Four-inch platform heels
—Embellished with designer pins
—Available in yellow, green, and pink
