Balenciaga and Manolo Blahnik team up on embellished heels.&nbsp;

Leave it to fashion&rsquo;s ultimate bricoleur Pierpaolo Piccioli to launch Balenciaga&rsquo;s new moisture-wicking, antimicrobial ProBody leggings alongside a collaboration with master shoemaker Manolo Blahnik. Nodding to the shared Spanish heritage of Blahnik and the maison&rsquo;s founder, Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga, the capsule reworks three archival Blahnik silhouettes&mdash;a mule and slingbacks in two heights&mdash;in silk satin, lined in Balenciaga grey. Taking cues from Balenciaga&rsquo;s 1960s bijoux, each shoe is finished with crystal embroidery across its low vamp, adding a touch of sparkle to the commute to your yoga mat.
Launching today, May 19,&nbsp; in select stores worldwide and <a href="https://www.balenciaga.com/en-us" target="_blank" rel="noopener">onsite</a>, the collaboration first debuted as part of Balenciaga&rsquo;s Fall 2026 collection,&nbsp;Body and Being, and reflects Piccioli&rsquo;s ongoing exploration of couture through craft and personal connection. Rather than a conventional brand partnership, the project grew from a longstanding admiration between the creative director and Blahnik himself. &ldquo;I simply like Manolo. That&rsquo;s it,&rdquo; Piccioli shared in a statement. &ldquo;To me, Manolo Blahnik is synonymous with elegance and as he&rsquo;s Spanish, like Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga, there&rsquo;s a certain shared sensibility there.&rdquo;

The collection consists of a low-heeled mule and slingback silhouettes offered in both 50mm and 105mm heel heights. The d&eacute;collet&eacute;-inspired designs reveal the foot in a way that aligns with Piccioli&rsquo;s vision of the body as central to his Balenciaga universe, while archival Manolo references are translated through silk satin fabrication and Balenciaga&rsquo;s signature grey leather lining. Crystal leaf embellishments drape asymmetrically across the shoe&rsquo;s low-cut vamp&mdash;a detail reminiscent of Blahnik&rsquo;s jewelry-like footwear approach while simultaneously recalling Crist&oacute;bal Balenciaga&rsquo;s ornate 1960s bijoux.
Available in black, gris plume, grass, lime, and violet silk satin, the shoes arrive complete with specially co-branded packaging, including dust bags, a custom shoebox, and tissue liner&mdash;proof that for Balenciaga, even the smallest details are part of the fantasy.

Courtesy of Balenciaga/Manolo Blahnik.

Inside Balenciaga and Manolo Blahnik's Crystal-Covered Collaboration

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Inside Balenciaga and Manolo Blahnik's Crystal-Covered Collaboration

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