For Better or for Worse, Isabel Marant's Wedge Sneaker Is Making a Comeback
The iconic shoe is revamped with a 4-inch heel.
Beyoncé wore them in her music video for “Love on Top.” Gisele Bündchen and Miranda Kerr once sported them on off-duty outings. Chiara Ferragni flaunted them on her fashion blog. If this were an episode of Jeopardy, the correct response would be: What is Isabel Marant‘s wedge sneaker?
The iconic shoe, once considered a relic of the early 2010s, is poised to make a comeback — Marant just announced the launch of the Balskee, a silhouette modeled after the designer’s original wedge-soled creation, the Beckett. Retaining the Beckett’s original style lines and velcro straps, the Balskee introduces several new design features including a nearly four-inch covered heel and chunky midsole platform. A double-layered tongue — one made of padded leather and the other of thin suede — adds interest to the ankle.
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
Isabel Marant
We can’t help but wonder what’s behind Marant’s decision to relaunch such a divisive silhouette. Perhaps, as Americans come out of lockdown and begin to favor heels over lounge-appropriate footwear, the designer is attempting to give customers the best of both worlds: leg-lengthening height disguised as a laid-back sneaker. Or maybe, in the age of Instagram, Marant is looking to spark online debate over a sneaker we anticipate the Internet will love to hate. The designer remained rather mum in a press release: “I’ve never wanted to stop wearing them,” she said. “The most comfortable things are the things you always wear and that you are never fed up with.” Amen?
Isabel Marant’s Balskee wedge sneakers will launch this month at the Isabel Marant website.
