Balenciaga Introduces the Track, A New Luxury Sneaker to Rival Its Triple S

Balenciaga

Move over, Triple S, a new style is looking to usurp the thrown.

Last weak, Balenciaga put out its Track Sneaker, a style that was first introduced on its Fall 2018 runway. It drops at a time when the French luxury label is riding high on the success of the Triple S, which has received a great deal of fanfare and has had many consumers searching far and wide for elusive colorways. This includes one individual who, according to the New York Times, waited eight long months to get his hands on the pair he wanted. That’s dedication.

Indeed, the sale of streetwear-inspired luxury apparel and accessories have reached fever pitch, with the masses waiting zealously for highly anticipated, often one-off releases. Over the past couple of years, blockbuster results have come from a number of collaborations: Off-White and Nike; Pharrel Williams and Adidas; Yeezy and Adidas; and Supreme and every label it has partnered with (Comme des Garçons, Lacoste and Louis Vuitton are just the noted few). Even highfalutin brands like Prada, Dior and Gucci have offered menswear pieces inspired by street culture to great success.

Balenciaga, under the helm of Georgian-born designer Demna Gvasalia, is no different. In fact, many pieces in his collections are reconfigured streetwear styles from the ’80s. The Triple S, for example, is recognized for re-popularizing the chunky, zany-colored sneakers that were worn by the decade’s icons like Marty McFly in the Back to the Future film series and Sydney Deane in White Men Can’t Jump. Many outlets have referred to them as “dad shoes”—perhaps because the younger generation sees it as a thing that their parents were into. Whatever the reference, they were a hit.

And to keep its success going, Balenciaga has added the Track to its roster. Like its predecessor, the overall vibe of the new sneaker is streetwear-inspired and sporty. Still, it’s a better-looking shoe. The new style, which comes in five colors, has a sleeker silhouette and more elaborate design. According the brand’s press statement, the Track blows up the features typical of running gear and hiking equipment. This, supposedly, is represented in its shape; elaborate crisscrossing of the shoelaces and use of lugs on the sole.

That said, at $895, you would be wise not to use the Track on, well, a track—or any rough, physically exhausting terrain for that matter. Read: it is not a performance shoe in the least. And with limited availability at select Balenciaga boutiques (New York, Los Angeles and Miami), you wouldn’t want to take the risk of damaging an item that’ll probably have a long waiting list.

Naturally, the Track is meant to be ogled at and show your status as a sneaker king…until, of course, a new style drops several months from now.

Follow Barry Samaha on Twitter (@barry_samaha) and Instagram (@barrysamaha).