Orthopedic, but make it cunt
It’s been seven years since Demna dropped his stacked, Jibbitz-covered Crocs at Balenciaga, and while he’s dabbled further in freaky footwear throughout his tenure at the house, he’s not created anything quite so polarising since – that is, until now. The Georgian designer just dropped his AW25 collection through a series of ‘leaked’ iPhone photos, and in amongst his signature oversized tailoring and hulking outerwear was a shoe that immediately captured our attention.
On first glance, this new Frankensteined shoe looks pretty normal. It appears like an orthopedic sandal, with a single leather strap across the toe, a silver buckle fastening, and a comfortable cork footbed, not unlike the kind of thing your nan would slip her swollen ankles into across the summer months. But get a bit closer and you’ll see that the style has been given a Balenciaga update via the addition of a nimble, pin-like stiletto heel.
The new shoe is part of a collaboration with German footwear specialist Scholl – formerly Dr Scholl – and is likely to have fans divided. Personally, as someone whose stance when it comes to shoes is the uglier, the better, I’m obsessed. The Scholl-etto(!) isn’t the only weirdo style on the agenda for the new season, though. There’s also a clompy sneaker with added heel, and an EVA sole that clings to the foot via one single toe-cap, designed to give the wearer the sensation of walking barefoot, but in a less minging way for those of us who have to get the Central Line to work every morning.
Beyond the bizarro shoes, the new collection offers up a swathe of Balenciaga classics, like fake band tees bearing the faces of house muses Kim Kardashian, Michelle Yeoh, Isabelle Huppert, and Nicole Kidman, and a new collab with Lamborghini. Can’t afford your own Lambo? Demna has you covered with slouchy leather totes, logo-plastered hoodies, and gold-tone accessories like bag charms, keyrings, and dangly earrings bearing the car brand’s recognisable crest.
Notably, there’s also a t-shirt within the AW25 line emblazoned with the word ‘Queer’. As the lookbook dropped, an oppressive anti-LGBTQIA+ law came into effect in Demna’s home country, with protests breaking out in the capital of Tbilisi. With Demna previously exploring his roots in the region as part of his SS19 Vetements collection, what could be down to weird coincidence could just as likely be a poignant message of resistance. Take a look at the collection in the gallery above.