The Balenciaga Triple S Were the Trendiest Shoe in the World. Are They Any Good?

In 2017, Balenciaga’s creative director, Demna, shocked fashion fans with the reveal of a new in-house sneaker, the Triple S. After years of the knit-runner Nike Roshe Run and lean Adidas Stan Smith, the Triple S was a radical change toward chunkiness and bulk in the sneaker space — a style that has remained dominant in the sneaker space, particularly for designer brands.This trick has since become very boring at Balenciaga, where each new season promises yet another pre-distressed, Asics-inspired dad sneaker in bigger, more bulbous proportions than ever before. However, the Triple S is a modern sneaker icon despite how divisive it may be; not simply changing what is popular but becoming the most popular and most faked designer sneaker ever made.Designed in collaboration with luxury footwear designer David Tourniaire-Beauciel, the Triple S takes its name from its chunky sole, a combination of three soles from the molds of a running shoe, a basketball shoe, and a track shoe stacked atop one another to create a two-and-a-half-inch tall platform shape. The upper is made of a combination of curvy suede and mesh panels and takes inspiration both from bulky Asics and Nike “Dad sneakers” and also the more organic 1970s sneakers from brands like New Balance and Reebok when designed by Steven Smith.Balenciaga Triple S, in light blue. Courtesy of Ross AndersonDespite their iconic status, I had never owned a pair until this year, when I picked up a discounted pair in a single light-blue shade. The black, cream, red, and tan colorway is the most iconic, and there are many more distressed and garish colors on offer, but this is one of the few options that are both wearable and feel distinctly luxurious.As someone with an extensive sneaker and fashion collection, I am glad to own them—particularly for the steep discount I paid for them—but do not expect the $1,000 MSRP and chunky shape to suggest incredible comfort and quality.To start, though the original 2017 run was made in Italy, production then moved to Communist China to catch up with demand. Though the quality difference is not enormous, it is there. The suede and mesh are fine, and there are no flaws on my pairs, but compared to the truly premium materials you can find on far less expensive shoes — notably the best Adidas Forum releases such as this year’s Packer collaboration and the Forum Premier line — they are nothing remarkable.Balenciaga Triple S in the original colorway. Courtesy of BalenciagaSimilarly, though they are very tall, the soles do not contain a carbon shank foam or some interesting comfort technology; they are just three stacked TPU plastic outsoles and have the comfort of roughly $100 dad sneakers but with heavier, taller soles.They are not uncomfortable, to be clear. The tongue and ankle are extremely well padded, and the shape has been carefully designed to be easy and comfortable to walk in despite their weight and size. Just make sure to size down half or a full size. But they are not distinctly comfortable shoes, certainly not compared to other sneakers from brands like Salomon, New Balance, or premium Adidas. Those shoes also come with a nice unboxing experience. In their dedication to industrial minimalism, Balenciaga packaging is a large, concrete-gray cardboard box, with matching tissue paper, a black polyester dust-bag, and a spare pair of matching laces.Why buy them then? If you are not interested in their design, then you have no reason to; but they are an iconic piece of modern fashion culture. If you want one designer sneaker that you can wear everywhere, beat up, and still know they will look good and give you a bit of extra height, you will be happy with the Triple S. Particularly if—like me—you wait for them to go on sale.Balenciaga Triple S in Light Blue. Courtesy of Ross Anderson

The Balenciaga Triple S Were the Trendiest Shoe in the World. Are They Any Good?

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