See These Pre-Distressed Sneakers That Sell for $530…Wait! What?

Would you spend $530 on one pair of shoes? Keri Lumm reports on these pre-distressed sneakers.

A luxury brand has come under fire over a pair of purposely distressed sneakers that some feel “mock poverty.”

The Golden Goose “Superstar Taped Sneaker” costs $530 and is sold by several retailers, including Nordstrom. On the department store’s website, the product description for the shoe states that it is a “crumply, hold-it-all-together tape details” and “a distressed leather sneaker in a retro low profile.”

A closer look at the item shows that in addition to being taped up, the shoe is also generally distressed and scuffed.

At the time of this post (Sept. 20), two people had left glowing reviews of the sneakers on Nordstrom’s website — one a tongue-in-cheek reference to the “homeless chic” of “Zoolander’s” evil designer, Mugatu.

“5 Stars for style, comfort, and originality. I must say Mugatu designed a similar shoe in 2001, but I’m glad to see the inspiration and trend came back into fashion,” one person wrote. “One of the problems with the older designs was the fact that the tape served a functional use, over a decorative one. Serious upgrade if you ask me.”