Balenciaga Knife Sling-Backs, an Analysis
While I don’t buy much clothing by international designer brands, I do occasionally buy their shoes. For me, this somehow seems worthwhile – it is by no means rational, but this is how it is. You have probably seen me raving about my Gucci loafers (although frankly, sneakers have been taking over recently), I like my Prada and Louboutin pumps, despite the latter being unnecessarily uncomfortable. Nicholas Kirkwood, Isabel Marant, Manolo Blahnik and Dior are also brands I’ve splurged on. And this summer, I bought my first Balenciaga shoes.
This was not an impulse purchase, I had been considering this move for a long time. Again, this probably doesn’t make sense to anyone else, but in my head, there is a logic to it. I wear black pumps in the office very often, but the ones I have are very classic. Which is not a bad thing, but somewhat boring. To me, the Balenciaga sling-backs are a modern, amped-up version of the traditional black pump. I can wear them with the same things I wear with my Louboutin Pigalles, but the entire silhouette will look instantly fresher. Because of the exaggerated shape, they aren’t quite as effortless to pair with outfits as classic pumps and require a little bit more thought. They make up for it in visual punch, though.
I wear them with my midi skirts and dresses, cropped trousers and jeans and they look good. I also like the design as such, with its sharpness and bold proportion. So generally, I am very happy I bought them, they fill a role in my wardrobe and they fill it well. They also don’t look dated, despite having been around for a few seasons – I think the Knife shoes are a proper modern classic now and will not go anywhere for a while. If you are considering getting them, there are a few things to consider, however.
First, these are strictly indoor shoes, even more so than my Louboutins or Diors. Satin is not very resilient and the super sharp tips are extremely fragile, I have ruined them somewhat even without venturing outside. They are also not very comfortable to wear. It’s not that they are painful, but the long and sharp toe takes some time to get used to (they are especially dangerous with long wide-legged trousers). Plus the little sling tends to slide down, making the shoes not very secure on the foot. I’m happy to to wear them like this, as I don’t need to walk long distances in the office and I actually like the slightly more casual vibe with the sling not really doing the back thing. This may not be the case for everyone and I recommend trying them on before buying, if possible (I didn’t).
So there you go – my thoughts on these somewhat controversial shoes. Would you or wouldn’t you?
Shoes by Balenciaga, dress by Zara. Images Krõõt Tarkmeel.
6 Comments
Add yours+ Leave a Comment
This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
I would splurge on shoes, yes! I would even splurge on uncomfortable shoes. But not on shoes that get ruined easily. However, these are beyond beautiful to look at. They are a treat for the eyes! I can’t get enough at looking at them and I hope to see them with full outfits, especially with midi length skirt / dresses. Enjoy 🙂
I have a look coming up that pairs these shoes and leopard – as you can already see from these pictures🙂 But yes, delicate shoes only make sense in very limited number of circumstances.
Nope. Those are gorgeous and I’m glad you bought them so I can admire them, but I hate wearing sling-backs and mules. I need my shoes to stay on when I walk. My solution is generally a D’Orsay or something with a thin ankle strap if I’m wearing trousers (not with a skirt, I don’t have nice ankles).
Reading your blog makes me almost wish I had to dress nicely for work.
I fully understand that. If I had to wear my shoes outside office, I would absolutely not get these either. Also, one cannot overstate how much it helps when pumps come with straps or whatever design details that keep them securely on the foot. I recently bought a pair of Aldo shoes that I wasn’t initially sure about, but I wear them all the time, partly because they stay put. Might actually do a separate post on them.
Greetings dear Annikky! I really enjoy these single-item discussion posts (and series posts too – another keen fan of the leopard print series here). I used to think if I were ever to buy designer shoes there would be two ways of doing it – either getting a pair that are unusual and exquisite, or taking a classic style I wear all the time and making it very special by getting designer quality (black patent Manolo stilettos were my dream shoes for a long time). These very glamorously do both but (as with the Dior) it’s rather depressing to hear that designer is not always quality – not that I insist on practicality for fashion, but general wearability, yes. The exaggerated points look gorgeous, but another problem with them is that they can crease very quickly and spoil the lovely long line of the shoe. I had a pair once that were so long I had to walk like a duck, and sort of paddled along…But I would snap these up in an instant if I could!
My rationale when buying expensive items is exactly the same. And yes, the quality (or resilience?) issue… Sometimes I feel that the companies are still creating things for people with this fantasy lifestyle, people who never set a foot on the pavement. But even Anna Wintour does, occasionally! Like you, I don’t care that much about practicality (at least with some items), but I don’t like to be too precious about things.
On the postive side, these shoes haven’t creased at all so far. I think this is partly because the heel isn’t too high, so I’m not putting too much pressure on it.