The City of Love Turns Up the Sneaker Heat at Paris Fashion Week
Mon dieu! The city of love and lights certainly dialled up the sneaker heat for The Sneaker Freaker team hit the ground running across the action-packed week, legging it from one event to the next to bring you all the latest collections – lucky we brought plenty of shoes to pound the pavement!
Now it’s time for us to kick our feet up and recap one of the most memorable fashion weeks in recent memory. See you next year.
Dior
marked his fifth year at in style at Paris Fashion Week, the Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 show no doubt one of the highlights of an action-packed week. The ‘pop-up’ presentation saw models emerge from trap doors and hydroponic platforms, the futurist mise en scène paired with classic looks from Dior’s collection (Dior’s Fall/Winter 1960 show provided a key source of inspiration for Jones).
Taking place on the grounds of the École Militaire with the Eiffel Tower in the background, the star-studded front row included guests such as Gwendoline Christie, Winnie Harlow, J Balvin, Will Poulter, Tom Daley and Amber Valletta.
‘Suiting and tailoring is the key point’, Jones said in a preview clip for the show. ‘I think, well, there’s a very continuous thread throughout the collection with pops of colour. It’s really about fabrication and silhouette and it’s all about the clothes. It’s like, new look to new wave.’
MSCHF x Crocs?!
Perpetual provocateurs arrived at Paris Fashion Week ready to cause commotion, the Brooklyn art collective leveraging the occasion to debut a collaboration with dubbed the Big Yellow Boot. Tommy Cash was passed the baton to do the honours, the Estonian rapper dressed as a mime while he sipped wine and smoked cigarettes on the sidelines of the Rick Owens show.
The cartoonish boots were this time emblazoned in yellow, with signature Crocs design DNA gracing the model (like the all-over holes) as well as a ‘Sports Mode’ strap placed around the heel.
Li-Ning
Taking place at the iconic Centre Pompidou, SS24 was truly a sight to behold. An effervescent show incorporating kung-fu, a live performance from Off-Set and a vision of premium streetwear titled ‘MY-VERSE’, the Chinese sportswear giant did not arrive in Paris on tip-toes.
Incorporating everything from technical jackets to cargo pants and raincoats, it was below the heels that really captivated us, with inflatable shoes, Kungfu Yang sneakers and Feidian CRC racers all craning necks.
‘After three decades, we are excited to leverage our intrinsic understanding of the athlete’s body and fuse it with an aesthetic, an attitude, and a sense of style that is deeply and uniquely Chinese yet intended for all.’ Li-Ning said in a statement. ‘We wish to define the space where sport and imagination intersect, with a vivid approach and quality that is unparalleled.’
Louis Vuitton
Creative polymath debuted his highly anticipated collection at Paris Fashion Week, the 50-year-old multi-hyphenate presenting a spectacular show on the historic Pont Neuf bridge – Paris’ oldest bridge.
The first act in Pharrell’s new role as the creative director of menswear, the show revolved conceptually around the sun.
‘The Louis Vuitton Spring-Summer 2024 Men’s Collection orbits the sun as a focal point for opportunity, responsibility and enhancement,’ Louis Vuitton detailed in their show notes. ‘In his first proposal for the Maison, Men’s Creative Director Pharrell Williams looks to the sun as a universal source of life: a radiance that energises, heals and unifies humans across cultures and creeds.’
Still a blinding force in the streetwear orbit, Pharrell’s collection featured plenty of unique tailoring, from short suits to LV-branded ties. One of the biggest themes across the collection was the ‘Damouflage’, which took LV’s usual Damier print and turned it into a glitch camo. In terms of footwear, there was a lot going on. The main highlight were the boots that extended to almost-knee length. Pharrell also showed plenty of men's Mary Jane-style shoes, and plenty of new sneaker silhouettes, some reminiscent of bowling shoes while others looked like chunky Y2K skate footwear. Sparkly moon boots were a striking sight, and so were the fluffy slippers.
Of course, the guest lineup was absolutely stacked, with , , , and all in attendance. Pharrell also took a moment to honour fashion trailblazer and former Louis Vuitton creative director . ‘This moment is dedicated to the giant before me,’ he said in a statement. ‘To our brother in spirit.’
In terms of footwear, aka Mathias Patillon, head of design men's footwear at LV, shared a closer look at some of the footwear shown, while sneaker onlookers were quick to point out the between LV’s latest trainers and a 70s classic from PUMA’s tennis catalogue – uh, oh!
Saucony
SHINZO Paris hosted a massive ‘History of Run’ pop-up event amid the excitement of Paris Fashion Week. The store’s been taken over to launch a number of items, including the new plus new collaborations and a big bringback.
Saucony dropped in a tight selection of their running archive – a formidable feat considering the company has been around for 125 years – that served as the perfect backdrop for the eponymous book penned by Sneaker Freaker. A lucky few attendees on opening night walked away with a copy, plus new releases from Saucony.
Drops included the Colour Plus Companie x Saucony Grid Shadow 2, which is available now exclusively from SHINZO. Also, as the very first place in the world to release a small run of the Grid Shadow 2 in OG colours, SHINZO made some exclusive commemorative merch to mark the ‘History of Run’ occasion.
That same night, Sneaker Freaker hosted a panel talk featuring foremost Saucony fanbase admin @sauconysneaks, Colour Plus Companie’s Jordan Page and SF’s own editor-in-chief Woody. Drinks flowed and sneakers sold soon after.
thisisneverthat
In recent times, two brands that have forged a close relationship with are and . Having such a tight relationship, it only made sense that the Korean streetwear stalwarts debuted their latest NB550 at the Parisian eatery! A familiar face in the extended NB universe, thisisneverthat have made a point to craft annual collaborations using a plethora of the brand’s silhouettes, like the , and Next up, the pair look to the , crafting three unique colourways. The premier party was hosted at Paperboy, who last year unveiled their own linkup during PFW. For thisisneverthat’s latest, the brand has constructed three canvas-adorned colourways which also hosts black accents and aged cracked ’N’ logos.
CLOT Customisation Studio
It’s been quite the birthday bash for Edison Chen’s team this year. Celebrating the Hong Kong imprint’s 20th anniversary, the label have been on a roll in 2023, taking the toolkit to the and Nike With Paris Fashion Week in full swing, it was only fitting that the storied label would make an appearance, with Edison Chen hosting an exclusive customisation service at Long Story Short.
With the Nike Cork Dunk front and centre, CLOT invited sneakerheads to participate in the customisation process, with everything from faux grass to beading embellishments on display. CLOT also tapped several prominent creatives to get the DIY juices flowing, with lifestyle blogger Cosmos, stylist Cornelius and handmade footwear specialists Rifare Co all swinging through to create some heat for Paris. Even Edison Chen pulled up to show with custom LV monogrammed leather Swooshes!
ASICS Host Parisian Pop-Up
were back in Paris with several sneaker collaborations at an exclusive pop-up. The space at 3537 was zoned off into different sections to feature four different brand partners; some are extending their relationship while others are kicking off new unions.
The pop-up launched the new ASICS GT-2160 sneaker via collaborations with and Crafts for Mind. Cecilie Bahnsen continues her dainty floral-adorned motif on the updated model. Dime, better known for their skate line, delve into the Y2K-inspired world with their wavy take on silver shoes.
Crafts for Mind, the purpose-driven ASICS initiative, teams up with AIREI to produce 50 special pairs of GT-2160. Covered in what looks like plaster, no two pairs will look alike as the outer covering cracks and breaks to each wearer’s foot. Proceeds from the sale of this collaboration go toward the Right To Play organisation.
deviate slightly by using the GEL-1130 to complete the trilogy of their collaborations. The collection finishes on a subdued note in a near-all-white finish that’s accented with red laces.
Feng Chen Wang
tapped into childhood memories with her grandma for Spring Summer 2024, the London-based designer reflecting on walks alongside mountains and rivers in her hometown of Fujian, China, for the collection.
Titled ‘Memories. Imprinted’, the show was hosted in Paris’ Lycée Collège Montaigne public school courtyard, and was replete with natural elements and references – like falling leaves and flowing rivers – printed on tees, vests and tailoring.
Wang also showed off an upcycled collection with Nike, including Air Force 1s seemingly grown from the wild, with sprouting flowers and leaves subsuming the silhouette. Elsewhere, ruffled dresses and collarless suiting all reinforced the creative potential of a more sustainable industry.
‘Some memories are very profound but somewhat vague, perhaps even mixed with some of my imagination,’ Wang reflected ahead of the show. ‘But my creative process shows a sense of colour change with strong emotions.’
Vans
cruised into Paris Fashion Week to announce their new premium OTW label (replacing Vault) in spectacular fashion. Parisians strolling along the Seine River, witnessed a pop-up skate park on Pont Alexandre III, the installation a collaboration between Vans, PLAYLAB INC, Unitedfront, and California Skateparks. Among the most anticipated footwear looks was Clash the Wall, a hybrid quartet of Vans classics – the Skate High, Style 36, Authentic and Mid Skool.
‘We’re launching a new platform where we’re going to house our most pinnacle product expressions and brand experiences,’ said Ian Ginoza, Vice President, Creative Direction for Pinnacle. ’This is also where the brand will intersect with innovators in the culture of skate, style, design, and entertainment.’
Vans followed up with a thumping DJ set by Donovan’s Sound Club on Friday night.
Kiko Kostadinov
Revered designer saved the best until last during his show at the Lycée Henri-IV public secondary school. Taking the stage to do his customary bow, the Bulgarian multi-hyphenate took the opportunity to debut his brand new ASICS shoe, a minimalist mossy green and black silhouette debossed with ASICS’ signature iconography. Kiko also leveraged the City of Lights to launch – a collaborative luxury label designed in partnership with ASICS.
Junya Watanabe
was deep in his collaborative bag at Paris Fashion Week. SS24 featured an eye-watering 18 collaborators, including the likes of Oakley Factory, and Maison Kitsuné.
‘My collection is comprised of many collaborators, however this time I focused on Junya Watanabe (womenswear) as the main collaboration,’ said Watanabe in a statement.
In terms of footwear, Watanabe revealed a potential new model that looks somewhat similar to the RC30 – which was endorsed by Childish Gambino. Recently, the Comme des Garçons stalwart has worked on several New Balance silhouettes, including the 574, 1906 and 650.
Comme des Garçons
It looks like have a series of New Balance collaborations on the horizon, the beloved Japanese imprint teasing a crisp pair of as well as a brand new lace-free silhouette made in collaboration with TOKYO DESIGN STUDIO. A slip-on remix coherent to the broader paradigm in the sneaker industry, the uppers appear to be manufactured with mesh and suede, with sleek pull-tabs and rubber outsoles completing the design.
AURALEE
highly-anticipated Spring/Summer 2024 collection is imminent, not to mention the Japanese label linking-up with New Balance for a brand new silhouette.
The model currently has not been named, but no doubt reminds us of a on the NB327. As you can expect with other AURALEE linkups, the upper has been crafted using a premium mix of mesh and suede. On each of the two colourways, a gargantuan midsole commands attention down below.
Action Bronson x New Balance 1906R?
touched down in Paris, performing his gastronomic rhymes in a pair of New Balance 1906Rs reminiscent of his much-hyped . A silhouette New Balance are throwing heavyweight support behind in 2023, Action’s blazing colourway was replete with mustard yellows, rusty browns and toxic greens. Fingers crossed this one sees an official release!