Golden Goose Superstar review: worth it or skip?

What the Golden Goose Superstar does well

The headline: hand-distressed leather sneaker with star. The details: Material: Leather; Sole: Rubber; Fit: Size down half; Made in: Italy. In our list it is the pick for: lived-in look. It usually sells for $545–$650 in the US.

Go down half a size.

The trade-offs

Good: comfortable, distinctive, made in Italy. Not so good: pre-distressed, polarizing. Read the skip-if line before you spend: skip it if you want clean sneakers.

What to buy instead

Instead, consider the Maison Margiela Replica Sneaker ($600–$700): replica gum-sole sneaker. Better if you want minimal heritage.

Instead, consider the Hogan H630 ($450–$550): retro runner. Better if you want Italian value.

Instead, consider the Common Projects Achilles Low for Women ($425–$475): clean leather sneaker with gold serial. Better if you want a perfect minimal white sneaker.

Before you buy

Construction: stitched (Margom or cupsole) soles can be replaced; glued soles cannot. Leather: full-grain calf creases more gracefully than corrected or coated leather. Sizing: Italian sneakers often run large; many brands recommend going down half or a full size.

Buyer tip

Designer sneakers are among the most discounted luxury items in seasonal sales, except core colors of icons such as Common Projects Achilles and Golden Goose Superstar.

Buying in Europe: Italian and French sizes are used on most designer shoes, and they differ from US sizes by brand. Check the house’s own size chart, and remember that many Italian brands run about half a size small.

Luxury prices move in a different rhythm from everyday shopping. The great houses (Chanel, Hermès, Louis Vuitton, Dior, Rolex) raise prices once or twice a year, often in January and in spring, and almost never discount their icons. Seasonal pieces, colors and many shoes, coats and knitwear drop 30–50% in the end-of-season sales in January and from late June. Watches from brands such as Omega, TAG Heuer, Longines and Breitling, and most fragrance, see the best prices around Prime Day and Black Friday. Judge any deal against the usual price we show.

Buy from the fashion house, an authorized retailer or a reseller that authenticates and guarantees every piece, and keep the receipt, the dust bag, the box and any warranty card: they matter for repairs and for resale. Swiss watches carry a 2- to 5-year international warranty when bought from an authorized dealer, and buyers in the EU and UK also have a legal guarantee of at least two years on new goods.