DUCHESSE SHOES FOR WOMEN

Within Creative Director Pierpaolo Piccioli’s first collection for Balenciaga—Summer 26, The Heartbeat—a new shoe silhouette was introduced: the Duchesse.
This elegant yet strong design reenvisions classic codes of feminine, formal footwear through its sculptural, considered lines. In pump and mule styles, a sharp, 11- or 9-centimeter heel forms an elegant arch. Their pointed toes and the slightly blunted point of a flat ballerina style taper subtly inward, reflecting quiet confidence and sensuality.
Duchesse shoes are defined by their uniquely deep yet narrow cut vamp, breaking with tradition to accentuate volumetric structure that is both irreverent and refined—unmistakably Balenciaga. A signature grey leather insole is hot-stamped in gold with a logomark and stitch-like perforations along edges. A beige, suedelike sole is marked along its arch with a golden metal plaque. Uppers are transformed with exquisite leather petals, rounded studs, or semi-gloss lacquer.