14 DAY TRIAL // One wouldn’t normally associate haute couture with sports shoes but, then again, since the wedge sneaker became a stylish staple in 2011, it’s clear that sneakers are making a comeback. More importantly, they’re breaking on a completely new market by becoming not just practical, but also stylish.
Proof of that is the fact that two of the biggest names in haute couture, Dior and Chanel, had their models walk the catwalk in sneakers at their respective shows during Paris Fashion Week.
However, they weren’t your run-of-the-mill battered Nikes or Reeboks that you slip on every morning or evening for your daily jog: these were custom made creations, decorated with beads in Dior’s case or made of rare leathers, in Chanel’s.
The “it” shoe from Chanel, for instance, is more expensive than some of the high heel shoes they’re currently offering. It might be more comfy and more practical (and somewhat less stylish, many will argue), but it’s bound to set you back at least $4,000 (€2,924).
“Designer and creative director Karl Lagerfeld outfitted every single model in a pair of chunky running shoes. According to the Chanel press release, Lagerfeld was ‘play[ing] with the House codes by mixing the ultimate feminine symbol of couture, the corset, with the ultimate symbol of sportswear, the sneaker’,” Shine Yahoo reports.
Because Chanel only does things if it can do it big, each pair of shoes takes a lot of work to be made.
“The bespoke sneakers in the collection were crafted out of materials like python, tweed, lace, and pearls by Massaro, an atelier owned by Chanel. Each pair of luxury kicks took a minimum of 30 hours to make and will apparently cost over $4,000,” the report further notes.
Chanel would not comment on the estimated price tag but chances are it will be in that neighborhood. Just as likely is that, by this spring, most A-list celebrities will own at least one pair of haute couture sneakers, which will become the hottest shoes of the year.