It’s so funny to think just two years ago I used to HATE fashion sneakers. I had this thought ingrained in my mind that they should only be worn with athletic clothes. I would get this cringy feeling inside whenever I would see people wearing sneakers with street clothes, especially jeans. I would think to myself, Do people think that actually looks good?
And now, I am one of those people.
What’s even more crazy is that I spent over $500 on a pair of Golden Goose fashion sneakers. What?!
I realize I have a lot of explaining to do, so let’s get into it!
What are golden gooses??
In case you aren’t familiar with Golden Goose, it’s a shoe brand founded in Italy back in 2000. I don’t know exactly when they started to become super popular but I want to say sometime in 2020? Basically they’re trendy sneakers that have the skater look to make them look worn. They are known for their quality and uniqueness, and they’re also really expensive. I know I’m probably not selling you on them so far and honestly that’s not really my goal here.
Being a fashion blogger it’s my job to review products and give you my honest opinion. So that is what I am here to do to today! I’ve had my pair of Golden Goose’s for over 3 months now so I feel like I am finally qualified to share my full review on them! Since I’ve purchased mine I’ve received lots of questions about the specific pair I bought as well as questions about Golden Goose sneakers in general. So it just made the most sense to me to write this blog post in a Q and A format.
What is the hype about?
This is the question that everyone wants to know the answer to and honestly the reason I decided to try out Golden Goose shoes in the first place. What’s so great about a $500 pair of sneakers?
- Quality: I do feel that, for the most part, (I’ll get into this more later) the quality is amazing and they hold up really well.
- Comfort: they don’t hurt my feet at all. I was able to wear them the entire day Ryan and I walked around in NYC (we’re talking over 10 miles), in airports while traveling, etc. They have never hurt my feet and to me they have been nothing but comfortable.
- Style: obviously this is very subjective but I do certain styles of Golden Goose sneakers are really cute. since there is such a variety of shoes, there are a lot I don’t like but also a lot of styles I LOVE!
- The knock-offs don’t match up. I’ve had similar style sneakers and I can assure you the quality does not come anywhere close to Golden Goose.
- Versatility: I feel like I can wear my Golden Goose sneakers with literally any outfit. Sweatshirt and leggings, athletic clothes, a skirt, jeans, nice dress and they will look good with any outfit.
- Easily elevate an outfit. Adding my GG sneakers easily elevates literally any outfit I create.
- Trendy: Golden Gooses are super trendy right now! Although I’m not sure how long this will last but I don’t see it going away anytime soon.
how much do they cost?
Like I mentioned Golden Goose sneakers are typically $500+ but you can definitely find good pairs on sale in the $300 range. I’ll sharing a few places that have sales a the end of the post!
are they comfortable?
To me, yes. like I mentioned I was able to wear them walking around NYC all day and traveling in airports and they have never hurt my feet. The insoles inside the shoes have a high heel so I feel very supported when I walk in them and my feet feel protected.
How do they run?
Since GG is an Italian brand, they come in European sizes. One of the downsides to GG is that they don’t come in half sizes (at least not that I am aware of). I typically wear an 8 shoe which is around a 38EU. The 38 fits me perfectly barefoot. If a 38.5 were an option I probably would have ordered that so that I could wear socks more comfortably (my right foot is also longer than my left which makes shoe shopping difficult).
If I had to give a straightforward answer I would say they run TTS barefoot but if you plan on wearing socks or are in between sizes, maybe size up.
how do GG compare to other brands of sneakers?
Since I only recently got into fashion sneakers, I can only compare them to two pairs of Kate Spade Keds I own. Honestly Keds don’t compare at all to the Golden Goose brand. With the Keds my feet feel kind of naked, like I would be able to tell if I’m walking on a bumpy stone ground vs the GG where I can’t feel the ground underneath my feet. I also have noticed my Keds get dirty fast and also wear fast. I feel like with the design of GG they will hold up for many years whereas I am sure my Keds will fall apart sooner.
are Golden Goose shoes worth it?
I’m sure a lot of people would quickly be able to answer this after seeing the steep price tag. I can’t really answer this question for anyone else. Are they worth it to me? I would say yes.
I try to think of price per wear, so if I plan on wearing them say once per week that’s 52 times per year and if they last at least 5 years that’s 260 times and if the shoes are $500 that’s less than $2 per wear. I think I should get my money’s worth out of them after a couple years.
They also haven’t stretched out so I think they will keep their shape for along time. they super comfortable to me, and, I love how they look. So I don’t regret buying them. And I would probably purchase another pair, if they come out with a pink pair I really want!
IS there anything you would change about them?
Yes! There are a few things. I’m not going to sit here and pretend like they are perfect in every way. Obviously the price, for one, I wish they were more affordable. I wish they didn’t sell out as fast. I wish there were more options I liked (more pink and sparkly). and that there was an option to customize them online. I wish they came in half sizes so that I could wear mine with socks for long periods of time. That they would stop making sneakers with glitter on the heels and put more glitter on the sides so that the glitter didn’t come off some times when I put the shoes on and take them off.
Can you share more about the specific pair you bought?
I purchased my pair of Golden Gooses at Nordstrom (of course they are sold out). Golden goose is very unique in that each pair is hand crafted so every single pair is unique. Only a certain number of pairs of each style is available for sale with every release so the stock are constantly changing.
The exact pair I have is part of the super star collection and is a size 38. I love the gold and the fact they match my entire wardrobe. However I wish the glitter was on the star on the side instead of the heel because a little bit has rubbed off when I wasn’t careful taking my shoes off. So because of that I would not suggest getting a pair that has glitter on the heel. But if you do just be really careful taking them off! And honestly the glitter doesn’t even come off that easily, like if you touch it with your fingers it won’t come off, it’s more over time not being super careful when taking them off I think.
I go try pair at Nordstrom.
Where can I buy Golden Gooses?
- Nordstrom– they have a great return policy and their customer service is awesome so I felt comfortable ordering from here.
- Bloomingdale’s – another department store that has an excellent reward system
- Golden Goose website – obviously
- Bergolf Goodman
- Revolve
- Golden Goose store in Italy – LOL they’ll be a lot cheaper there!!
- Cettire (SALE) – they sell GG on sale
- FARFETCH
What's your best advice if i'm considering buying a pair?
Honestly my best advice would be to purchase from somewhere that has a good return policy (like Nordstrom.) Personally I would rather spend $500 on something I know I can return than $350 and possibly waste money on shipping on an item I won’t know will work out.
I would say to wait and purchase a pair you truly LOVE than buying a pair you kind of love just to have a pair.
Browse around! Look at multiple sites to see what is out there. Every store has different styles.
Go with a pair that will match most of your wardrobe or colors you know you would wear often. I found a pair of GG with blue details that I loved but didn’t purchase because hardly anything I have is blue and I knew they would not match the majority of my wardrobe.
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More questions?
If you have any other questions, leave them in the comments below!
