A LUXURY department store has been accused of insulting the poor by selling a “distressed” shoe “styled with duct tape” for £450.
Barneys New York, whose products have been promoted by Jay Z and Justin Bieber, is selling the pairs of sneakers online at $585 a time.
Scottish comedian Limmy is one of those critical of the product which he called “poverty appropriation”.
Limmy tweeted: “This is poverty appropriation. I’ve got a pair of Adidas Sambas that are in that state. The sole has a hole in them with cycling. Yours for £499.”
One follower responded: “Just need a hint of the smell of urine and you have yourself a deal. #trampchic”
An image of the shoe with its price was posted by a Twitter user on Saturday with the caption “Lmao” – laughing my ass off – and has since been retweeted over 8,000 times.
One wrote: “The look of poverty shouldn’t be seen or sold as fashion. What the f*** is wrong with some people?”
Another posted: “The price is just rude, but watch how certain people will wear this and call it style.”
One said: “I’ve got a coat with a burst pocket I sewed shut to stop my keys falling down the lining, think they want that?”
Barneys sells a clothing from a range of luxury designer brands including Canali, Paul Smith and Yves Saint Laurent.
Several Twitter users however have joked that the advertised shoe appears to mimic a range of clothes featured in the US comedy film, Zoolander.
Zoolander follows a narcissistic model played by Ben Stiller. One of the clothing lines he wears is called ‘Derelicte’.
The range is described in the film as “a fashion, a way of life inspired by the very homeless, the vagrants, the crack whores that make this wonderful city so unique.”
With reference to the shoes, one Twitter user wrote: “This is part of the “derelicte” fashion line from Zoolander.”
Another added: “It is straight out of Zoolander. Wow.”
