The new Louis Vuitton x Nike collaboration is everything you’d imagine it to be and more. The collection, which was showcased during Louis Vuitton’s Paris Spring/Summer 2022 fashion show, revealed over two dozen Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 hybrids, placing particular focus on the Air Force 1 low and mid-tops.

All the sneakers are made in Italy and feature various touches that are either synonymous with Louis Vuitton or at least Abloh’s tenure there as its men’s creative director. For example, where Abloh typically prints ‘LACES’ – on the laces – here they have the French translation, ‘LACET.’

The Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 low top in blue — **The Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1. Image courtesy of GQ**

As seen from its debut fashion show, the Louis Vuitton x Nike hybrids come in an array of colourways like green, white, metallic blue, lemon yellow, red, and even Vuitton’s iconic ‘Damier’ check. The collection fuses the basketball sneaker’s classic design with the Maison’s elevated insignia and luxe materials.

This is not Abloh’s first collaboration with Nike. Their partnership began in 2017 and will have birthed nearly 100 styles by August. However, as the show notes from Louis Vuitton’s Paris Spring/Summer 2022 reads, it may perhaps be “one of the most successful shoes ever created.”

Closeup of model's feet in the Louis Vuitton x Nike Air Force 1 — **Louis Vuitton touts this latest collection as the most successful shoes ever created. Image courtesy of High Snobiety**

Perhaps this is a rather ambitious statement that may have rattled quite a few, but one fact stands out amongst the reviews that have trailed the unveiling of the Louis Vuitton x Nike hybrids: the collaboration is about making the sneaker a super-luxe item. Another show note – the one defining Abloh’s new sporty take on the suit – provides useful context. By weaving together a suit and a tracksuit, he’s challenging the perceptions of what’s ‘formal’ and what’s ‘street’.

“Is a man in tailoring trustworthy? Is a man in ‘streetwear’ less trustworthy?” the notes read. Abloh writes that he wants to remix these enough that both lose their traditional symbolism. Is a sneaker “formal” or is it “street”?

The LV -Nike sneakers in high tops — **Virgil Abloh hopes to take the street to formal settings and bring formal settings into the street. Image courtesy of High Snobiety**

Only the future can answer this question, but for now, if you’re more concerned with present realities, like where to purchase these new sneakers, Louis Vuitton says you should “Stay tuned for more details.”

Source: GQ