Maison Balenciaga is all about image: from the oversized silhouettes that engulf and distort bodies to the signature alien look infused with street style flair, Demna Gvasalia’s brand is determined to stay in the spotlight. Following this ethos religiously, the brand has transformed a roll of tape into an avant-garde bracelet, a bag of Lay’s chips into a dystopian purse, and a towel into a skirt, polarizing fashion enthusiasts between devoted fans who praise its artistic brilliance and skeptics who denounce it as reckless absurdity.
The latest collection, Pre-Fall 2025, is no exception. Within the sacred walls of the Parisian showroom, Demna himself shot the official photos using his iPhone. At the center of this styling session was The Zero, the barefoot shoe made from 3D-printed EVA rubber. Designed by sneaker specialists Adrian Perrot Garin and Beini Qian, the shoe features a minimalist sole that covers only the big toe and wraps around the heel.
There’s a lot of buzz about Balenciaga’s barefoot shoes
The Zero is a 3D-printed shoe that leaves the foot bare, with which the brand renews its game of provocations.

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- Pietro Di Carlo
- 21 January 2025
The model will likely be available for purchase next fall at a price of $450. As expected, reactions have been mixed: some call it a futuristic shoe, others don’t even consider it a shoe, and some simply find it unsettling. The chaos seems to be precisely what Demna intended. It’s hard to keep surprising people, especially when they’ve come to expect the unexpected, but Balenciaga appears unfazed.
The brand continues to blur the lines between good and bad taste, between the acceptable and the unacceptable, between the sacred and the profane, challenging conventions without fear of bending the rules or courting controversy. The Zero may be the first time Balenciaga makes headlines this year, but it certainly won’t be the last.