In a big win for the ugly shoe trend, Balenciaga dropped its hard-on-the-eyes but good-for-the-soles platform Crocs in an inky colourway last month. According to the product description, the shoes feature a 13-centimetre-platform for, “maximum shock absorption,” which sadly doesn’t apply to sticker shock. The punk-for-a-price kicks come in plain black for $700—or, you can score a pair that’s decked out in spikes and charms for a cool $1,265 on Balenciaga.com. But, hey, they’re antibacterial! (For the record, standard black Crocs will set you back $50.)

Reaction online, as always, has been mixed. Nonetheless, people were clearly ready to jump at the chance to parade around in the platform shoes more commonly associated with chefs and retirees—the rationale being that it’s a capital-L Look, I guess?—because many sizes are already sold out.

File this under another thing we didn’t ask for—and most definitely can’t afford. However, there’s hope that the clog could get less pricey. “In the future you will be able to 3D print [the shoes] at home because they are all one piece,” Balenciaga’s creative director told British Vogue last fall about the brand’s plans to adopt the more cost-efficient production method. The question is will they still be in style by that point… and do we want them to be?

Whatever you think about this trend, fashion gambles have worked out well for the French house. Kering, Balenciaga’s parent company, saw a revenue increase of more than 27% in 2017, thanks in part to the first iteration of this shoe. It debuted in bubble-gum pink and sunshine yellow shades on Balenciaga’s Spring 2018 runway in Paris last October, and quickly sold out in pre-sale—well before its February 2018 launch.

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