f you’ve ever wondered why Golden Goose sneakers look like they’ve been pulled straight out of the dumpster, it’s because they basically have been. According to the Pop Fashion podcast, the “signature distressing technique” used to create these “effortlessly cool” sneakers is to bury them in an Italian garden! No joke. Give me half an hour at a janky West Philly backlot and I’ll make your sneakers look like this for free. Distressed fashion has been popular for some time, but Golden Goose takes it to a new level of stupidity.
Back in September, the brand caused a minor controversy after a tweet highlighting its $585 Distressed Superstar sneakers went viral.
Critics argued that pricing sneakers with torn laces and duct-tape reinforcements at a premium was an instance of “poverty appropriation.” Some even likened the sneakers to Zoolander’s Derelict – a collection which Mugatu describes as “a way of life inspired by the homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this city so unique.”
Long story short, fuck hobo-chic and fuck tennis sneakers that cost as much as Louboutin’s. Continue scrolling for some superior options.
Puma Basket
Axel Arigato Clean 90
Reebok x Naked Club C 85
Veja V-10
Filling Pieces Low Top Fundament Ripple
Images courtesy of: Man Repeller, Lyst, USA Today, and Geek.com