Balenciaga sells bizarre ‘fetish-style’ shoes months after bondage campaign controversy

Balenciaga has launched a range of ‘fetish-inspired’ shoes, months after the scandal that saw the brand launch ad campaigns featuring child pornography documents and teddy bears in bondage gear.

The Paris-based fashion house, beloved by a number of celebrities including Kim Kardashian, came under fire and has since partnered with a children’s charity “to learn more about how they can protect children.”

The selection, which appears to be a new collection, features three different designs, all of which are accented by a five-finger mold at the end and appear to be inspired by bondage imagery.

The seductive stomps, all made from soft black sheepskin, go for up to £1,300 a pair.

“They are a very strange design,” said one shopper. They look a bit like the feet of a black gimp suit.

Fetish Ballerina flats are £675, Fetish 80mm Pumps £795 and Fetish 80mm Booties are £1300.

Both the Pumps and the Ankle Boots come with a thin and long 8-centimeter stiletto-style heel, marked with a flared bottom.

The heeled boot includes a zipper on the side and the ballerina-style pump has a decorative black bow at the top.

All three are made in Italy and the product description indicates that the shoes should be cleaned with a soft cloth.

It comes as, earlier this month, the brand announced it was partnering with a children’s charity in a bid to salvage its reputation in the wake of controversial ad campaigns.

A couple of weeks ago, the label and its parent company Kering Foundation said they had begun a three-year partnership with Washington DC-based National Children’s Alliance.

According to a statement, Balenciaga will work with the NCA to help children heal from the trauma caused by abuse, promoting public awareness of child abuse and child protection, the NCA will educate Balenciaga on actions adults can take to further protect children.

Thanks to Balenciaga’s endowment, the NCA will be able to train nearly 2,000 child abuse counselors who will in turn benefit some 55,000 victims, according to the press release.

The stomps, all made of soft black sheepskin and in different styles, cost up to £1,300 a pair.

Fetish Ballerina flats are £675 (pictured), Fetish 80mm shoes are £795 and Fetish 80mm ankle boots are £1,300

The company in the statement: “We were confronted with the reality and magnitude of childhood trauma during our listening tour where we engaged with several leading organizations and experts in the field of childhood trauma.”

The press release went on to say that the company will continue to work to create a more positive environment for children.

The NCA works with nearly 400,000 children in the US each year. The nonprofit organization created a mental health institute in 2022.

In December, Balenciaga’s chief creative officer and chief executive apologized for the now-infamous ad campaign, which likely hurt the brand’s fourth-quarter sales and was called a “PR blowup” by one analyst.

The storm over the campaign led reality star Kim Kardashian to revise her ties to the label.

“I want to personally apologize for the wrong artistic choice of concept for the gift campaign with kids,” creative director Demna Gvasalia, known as Demna, said in a message posted on Instagram.

Separately, the Kering-owned label issued a statement signed by Charbit outlining new internal processes, including the appointment of an “image board” to evaluate content.

Balenciaga is selling fetish-inspired shoes, just months after the scandal that saw the brand launch ad campaigns featuring child pornography documents and teddy bears in bondage gear.

The hashtag has drawn criticism in recent months for two separate campaigns that have been posted online.

One, advertising a gift collection, featured a teddy bear-shaped bag with bondage-style straps, held by children.

A second, separate campaign for the brand’s spring 2023 collection, set in an office, included documents with text from a 2008 Supreme Court ruling related to child pornography.

In the December statement, Balenciaga apologized and said investigations into the ad campaigns were ongoing.

He said that the documents presenting the legal text on child pornography were props of a third party and that he had filed a complaint against the inclusion of the “unapproved documents”.

The company also backed down from its original plan to initiate litigation against the creative team behind the campaign. Charbit said: “I want to personally reiterate my most sincere apologies for the offense caused and assume my responsibility.”

Balenciaga is scheduled to stage a women’s ready-to-wear show at Paris Fashion Week on March 5, marking the brand’s return to the spotlight.