What happens when Vans, the shoe of garage bands, skaters, and kids who never grew out of their checkerboard phase, gets swept into the orbit of Valentino? You get a sneaker that’s as comfortable on the ramp as it is on the runway.
Unveiled during Alessandro Michele’s first Fall/Winter 2025–26 show for Valentino in Paris, the Valentino Garavani x Vans collab takes the brand’s most recognizable silhouette, the Authentic, and reimagines it with Valentino’s drama and Michele’s love for maximalist storytelling. Translation: Vans, but louder. Vans, but couture. Vans, but with a very Michele wink.
The collection drops in six variations for men and women, from canvas classics to the “Le Chat de la Maison” edition (there’s a cat involved). Those will be exclusive to Valentino boutiques, Valentino.com, and the Vans flagship on Oxford Street in London. Each pair comes boxed up in Valentino’s spin on Vans’ checkerboard packaging, stamped with the house’s VLogo.
The shoes officially hit Valentino boutiques in the Middle East (Level Shoes and levelshoes.com) on September 12, and will go global on September 19 across Valentino.com, Vans.com, and select Valentino stores.
It’s the kind of unlikely mash-up that makes total sense right now: a cult skate shoe colliding with one of fashion’s most theatrical houses. The result? Something you might just wear with a ball gown—or, more realistically, to brunch.