Balenciaga Made the Coolest, Weirdest, Most Futuristic Kicks of 2016

The French brand's slip-ons aren't the average designer sneaker.

This year, Balenciaga transitioned from the slick minimalist gym gear designs of Alexander Wang to a more normcore-inspired, fashion-forward (way forward at times) aesthetic of Vetements' Demna Gvasalia. The Georgian designer (Eastern European country, not state) has been injecting the storied French brand with his left-of-center ideas in a short period of time, introducing things like Ikea-inspired tote bags, high school baseball coach hats, and even—gasp!— square toe boots.

Which makes the house's brand new sporty running-inspired sneakers a bit of a surprise. Essentially, they're socks with thick, geometric soles. After all, sock-like uppers are kind of Gvasalia's thing when it comes to designing women's shoes.

We know what you're feeling right now. You're looking at these and are all "Woah, GQ, you guys have lost your damn minds 'cause those are some crazy sneakers." Honestly, we agree. But while they're weird, having road tested them around the office we can attest to their coziness—not to mention their head turning abilities. (And not in that "ew" way either. In that "Woah, those are cool let me see them" way.) Essentially these are a high fashion version of Nike's Mercurial Superfly, a soccer-inspired sneaker that channels ninja-like stealthiness. Throw on a Balenciaga logo to boot, and what you've got are the oddest yet coolest sneakers of 2016.

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