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Top StoriesUS store under fire for selling £450 "tramp" sneakers

US store under fire for selling £450 “tramp” sneakers

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”

DUCT_TAPE_SHOE_DN01
The shoe alongside others in the range

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.

The shoe is styled with ductape
The shoe is styled with ductape
The shoe is styled with ductape
The shoe is styled with ductape

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.”

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