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It’s been nearly a year since Balenciaga’s Foamposite-inspired Basketball Sneaker first appeared and now, the futuristic designer footwear is finally available to purchase.
The Balenciaga Basketball Sneaker is currently offered in three styles: black, metallic blue and silver/black. First seen during the French fashion house’s Paris Fashion Week spring 2025 show in October, the aptly named Basketball Sneaker takes some very clear design cues from Nike’s Foamposite technology. The Beaverton, Ore.-based sportswear brand’s molded polyurethane shoes were staples of its late 1990s and 2000s basketball output and established an aesthetic which remains a reference point decades later.
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Specifically, the Basketball Sneaker takes cues from the Air Flightposite model with its polyurethane shell upper and the addition of a zippered closure with a hook-and-loop fastener. Omitting shoelaces altogether, the Balenciaga Basketball Sneaker is offered in sizes through a European 45, which converts to a US 12.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a proper Balenciaga sneaker without some major adjustments. The overall proportions of the shoe are more distorted and bulbous than they are sleek, with a toe that curves upwards and sides that appear nearly bulging at the seams. The brand’s logos are featured throughout, as is its signature shoe size stamp at the heel and toe.
Even the sneaker’s colorways are derivative of Nike’s futuristic franchise, with the metallic blue style seemingly referencing Penny Hardaway’s original Air Foamposite One sneaker.
As far as materials are concerned, Balenciaga describes the style as a mix of polyester, spandex, polyurethane, lycra, and nylon with a sole composed of rubber and a foam insole. Like most of its recent sneaker output, the shoe is entirely leather free.
The Balenciaga Basketball Sneaker is priced at $1,550 and is available now from the brand’s e-commerce store and select locations.