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The high-low hodgepodge that is the modern sneaker market has seen its fair share of both inspiration and imitation from its peers in different categories or more so price points. While we delved into the ‘reverse Robin Hood’ approach of luxury pulling from sportswear in our Follow the Leader feature back in 2015, the new year is off to an interesting start with the release of the Louis Vuitton Fastlane.
Borrowing the same silo and structure as the budget banger that was the Nike Roshe Run, the Fastlane dresses the famed overlay wrap in their trademark Damier print with what looks to be mesh residing right at home on the toe box. Leather lining, branding and cuff detail add to the luxe look, with a sporty sole capping off the kicks.
Spotted by Hypebeast, it’s safe to assume these would’ve crushed a few years back during the En Noir leather jogger height, but has the athleisure look progressed to more ‘ath’ and less ‘leisure’ by way of Boost and NSW? It appears so, but it’ll be interesting to see how these do and even more so how they’re hooked up. While the Fastlane may be a bit more than a bite depending on how you slice imitation vs. innovation, there’s actually some pretty ill new footwear designs (namely the embossed versions of the Frontrow and Streetlight, as well as the In Motion and Boxing sneakers) available now at Louis Vuitton.
