Balenciaga Triple S sneakers

Balenciaga’s Triple S sneaker is one of the hottest products in the world for a second quarter running. First shown as part of the Balenciaga’s Fall/Winter 2017 runway collection in Paris, the Triple S immediately generated major social media buzz and critical acclaim for its chunky, bulky take on the dad sneaker.

Following on from the huge global demand for the Balenciaga Speed sneaker, as featured in the Lyst Index hottest products list last year, the Triple S has been another sneaker success story for the brand. Under the helm of Demna Gvasalia, Balenciaga’s artistic director, the humble sneaker becomes an art piece, as the designer plays with concepts of what is ‘ugly’ in fashion. From his conceptual, oversized and unusually styled garments through to statement footwear, the new Balenciaga has captured shoppers’ imaginations with truly stand-out product. The influential Triple S design set a precedent for a wave of ‘ugly’ sneaker shapes that followed.

Crafted from mesh and leather, its silhouette is set on black, white and red runner soles. The triple-stacked shape is based on moulds taken from running, basketball and track shoes. Thick rope laces, logo branding and intentional distressing complete the design.

Following its first release, the Triple S launched a thousand imitations and brands were quick to jump onto the ‘ugly’ or ‘dad’ sneaker trend. Balenciaga has since re-released the Triple S in new colorways, from all white and black distressed pairs, to the loud pops of neon yellow seen on the Volt. In June this year, the brand also debuted its most adventurous colorway to date - the new "Half & Half".

The Triple S has been spotted on celebs such as Pharrell Williams, Von Miller and James Harden, causing each re-release to sell out instantly. New and original colorways of the Balenciaga Triple S can be found at Mr Porter, Saks Fifth Avenue and Lane Crawford.