French designer Isabel Marant is bringing back her ever-controversial wedge sneaker with a shoe called the Balkskee, a chunkier version of the Beckett that includes a higher heel. Commenting on the decision to bring back the silhouette she famously disowned in 2014, Marant told the NY Times, “I was always thinking, ‘It’s so stupid that I was never able to rework the Bekett. Last year, suddenly it popped to me that just changing the sole will bring it into another world.”
Marant’s Beckett hidden wedge sneaker won over hearts 10 years ago as a fashionable footwear option straddling the line of high fashion and comfort. Worn by the likes of Beyoncé in her “Love on Top” music video, the sneaker was priced at $600 and had somewhat of a cult following among models and fashion editors. The shoe not only launched dozens of knock-offs, but was powerful enough as a silhouette to prod Nike to dip its own toes into the wedge waters.
The label’s updated wedge sneaker was introduced as part of a summer 2021 collection introduced with a campaign starring model Adut Akech.
Priced at $770, the Balskee in either black or white is now available for pre-order on Isabelmarant.com.
