Beyoncé's Custom Isabel Marant Wedge Sneakers: PETA Slams the Animal-Skin Shoe

Animal-rights organization says the kicks "come with a high price tag" paid by "various animals"

By Alyssa Toomey Feb 28, 2013 5:15 PMTags
Isabel Marant Sneaker Wedge, Beyonce KnowlesCourtesy: Isabel Marant; Dave Kotinsky/Wireimage

Everyone loves Beyoncé, right? Well, except for PETA, that is. 

The animal-rights group is slamming the Super Bowl star yet again after footwear design house PMK created a custom Isabel Marant sneaker wedge for the singer made of a range of exotic animal skins including stingray, ostrich, calf hair, crocodile and anaconda and appropriately named "The King Bey."

"Summoned by King Bee and given the task to create a custom design worthy of her approval, PMK takes the Isabel Marant sneaker wedge back to the beginning of time and gives it what they call the Eden treatment. A hybrid of land and sea skins are used to create this handcrafted creation," the PMK website boasts. 

Of course, that didn't sit well with the animal-friendly corporation, and PETA has since issued a statement, slamming the animal-skin shoes:

"These custom-made kicks come with a high price and it's paid by the various animals who were beaten and skinned alive or cruelly farmed and killed," the organization wrote. "Although most people aren't as familiar with the types of animals (snakes, stingrays, crocodiles, and ostriches) killed for this single pair of sneakers as they are with the cats and dogs we share our homes with, these animals are highly sensitive living beings who try hard to avoid capture and suffer enormously when trapped, netted, speared, and skinned alive."

This isn't the first time PETA has criticized Queen B for her clothing. The nonprofit corporation also slammed the singer's skimpy leather outfit at the Super Bowl, claiming the superstar " missed the mark" on the vegan clothing trend. 

"We would take a bet that if Beyoncé watched our video exposés...she'd probably not want to be seen again in anything made of snakes, lizards, rabbits, or other animals who died painfully," PETA told E! News of the headliner's attire, which also incorporated iguana and python skin.

But PETA hasn't given up hope Bey will change her ways. The organization also called the singer to action and name-checked other celebrities who are "cruelty-free":

"We hope that Beyonce will choose to wear more clothes from her own clothing line, which features faux fur, and that one day, she'll go completely cruelty-free," the statement continued. "She can always choose the cruelty-free and green fashion favored by compassionate, chic celebrities such as Natalie Portman and Anne Hathaway and designers such as award-winning fashion queen Stella McCartney." 

So, are you Team Bey or Team PETA? Tell us in the comments. 

Here's something less controversial: The top 10 Beyoncé songs