Balenciaga Combines Two of Its Signature Sneakers to Create the New 3XL Sock Shoe
Stephen Garner
Senior Editor
Balenciaga has launched the latest iteration of its viral Sock Shoe.
Called the 3XL Sock Shoe, the silhouette offers an exaggerated take on the original 2016 model that helped cement Balenciaga creative director Demna‘s name in fashion.
According to the French luxury fashion house, the new sneaker combines two signature Balenciaga styles – the stretch knit upper of the Speed line and the expansive rubber sole of the 3XL.
A unique fusion of these two concepts creates an identity all its own. While its upper and ankle hug the body, the sole is oversized—enveloping the foot from back to front—and highly structured.
“The new shoe continues the brand’s ongoing explorations of archetyping and hybridity, merging a design known for its overall sleekness with one known for its magnified components,” the brand said in a statement about the new release. “A unique fusion of these two concepts creates an identity all its own.”
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The Balenciaga 3XL Sock Shoe comes in black knit with white tread, marked with a small white logo on the front outside part of its upper. The shoe also comes in two other colorways — Beige and Fluo Yellow. Each retail for $1,080.
This launch follows a recent look at a series of new shoes from the brand’s resort ’24 collection in June, that just might bring Balenciaga another chapter in its story of blockbuster footwear moments. Amid motorsport-themed “pantashoes” (the brand’s name for its famed shoes that are connected to pants and tights) and signature witch heels, a handful of models for resort ’24 wore black leather boots that feature exaggerated curled-up pointed toes, resembling the new 3XL.
In July, Balenciaga unveiled the Space and Opera pumps for women in its 52nd Couture collection. The classic high heel pump silhouettes feature built-out curves that mirror Balenciaga’s signature sculpted jackets, and elongated toe boxes that are outfitted with internal prosthetics to give the shoes an exaggerated look.
These silhouettes join the ranks of a long list of the brand’s footwear novelties, which have included (but are not limited to) Vibram toe heels, platform Crocs, dirty ballet flats, dirty sneakers, heavy rubber clogs, extreme lace-up witch shoes and of course the signature pantashoe.
