Ahead of Louis Vuitton’s men’s spring 2027 showing in Paris on Tuesday, Pharrell Williams is sharing an early look at one of the range’s sneakers.
Dubbed the Louis Vuitton Combi, Williams’ latest sneaker design borrows clear skate inspiration with its low-profile silhouette and vulcanized sole. More specifically, the Combi model is drawing comparisons to the iconic Vans Authentic, the VF Corp. owned-and-operated skate brand’s first sneaker from 1966.
The Louis Vuitton Combi features a distinct shape that’s similar to the Authentic including a toe panel which wraps up the shoe’s sides, a comparable lacing configuration and a striped vulcanized midsole. Rather than the typical canvas material of the Authentic, however, the Combi has been previewed in luxe makeups including a red crocodile material. And unlike the Authentic, the Combi adds a heel tab in Vachetta leather, which also appears on the toe.
On his Instagram Story, rapper Future shared a second look at the Combi in red croc as well as alongside another colorway in brown Louis Vuitton monogram print with multicolor accents mixed in. And given Williams’ penchant for releasing footwear in a rainbow-like array of colors, it’s likely that this is only a small sampling of what’s to come for the Combi.
Louis Vuitton Combi.
@skateboard
Social media reactions were swift to spot the similarities to the classic skate shoe. But it wasn’t just commenters who called out the likeness — Vans itself got in on the action.
“Ohhhh bet,” the brand wrote in the comments section of Williams’ behind-the-scenes @skateboard Instagram account, acknowledging the resemblance between the two shoes.
Last year, under Williams’ creative direction, Louis Vuitton released the Tilted sneaker, a design which also took clear inspiration from skateboarding shoes.
The Louis Vuitton Combi is set to be released in early ’27. Readers can expect to see more of the sneakers at Tuesday’s show in Paris at 9 pm CEST.
Pharrell Williams wears the Louis Vuitton Combi.
@skateboard