Balenciaga Drops the $1,150 USD Muddy 3XL Trainer
Inspired by the wet and sludgy set for Summer 2023’s “The Mud Show.”
UPDATE, April 3: After months of teasing the shoe, Balenciaga has released the muddy 3XL Trainer. With it first being seen during Summer 2023‘s “The Mud Show,” many thought that the sneaker really was just covered in mud. Little did the world know, Demna would indeed drop a pair inspired by the real thing.
As a result, the now-familiar noughties-inspired runner is caked in a muddy finish, giving the shoes an even more worn-out look. The treatment will set you back a further $60 USD than normal, meaning the pair comes to a total of $1,150 USD.
Find the pair online and in-store now.
ORIGINAL ARTICLE, March 17:
The products you see during a runway show are often tweaked by the time they hit stores (just check out Balenciaga’s Super Destroyed Denim if you need a reminder), but it seems that the Demna-helmed House is still keen on throwing curveballs, as images of the “muddy” 3XL Trainer have surfaced online.
From the same Instagram account that previewed the 3XL Mule earlier this week, we now get a closer look at the mud-covered sneaker that adorned many a model’s foot during Summer 2023‘s “The Mud Show.”
During the runway, models stomped through slushy wet mud, subsequently drenching their brand-new footwear in the thick earthy substance. By the time Hypebeast visited Balenciaga’s showroom to see the collection in closer detail, the mud had hardened and locked into the shoe’s fibers.
Likewise, the commercially-available styles are given the same lightly-distressed look on the uppers, but now sport delicately-placed mud splatters on the mesh alongside the front section of the sole unit caked in “mud.” We say it in quotation marks because it is just an effect, dirtying up elements like the Balenciaga-branded toe bumper, sections of the outsole, but interestingly, not the laces that knot over and under the 3XL Trainer.
As we’ve come to learn from Balenciaga, treatments such as this do typically come at a premium. Thus, expect the muddy 3XL Trainer to cost more than the inaugural RRP of £830 GBP/$1,090 USD. No word has been said when the pairs will officially drop, but from the images, it looks like they could be in some stores imminently.
In other news, Vans has dropped a Gucci Vault “Continuum” collection that repurposes archival Gucci fabrics across its signature footwear styles.
