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Back in summer 2018 when Virgil Abloh’s preliminary design notes from his budding post at Louis Vuitton began to surface, it felt as though those highly anticipated musings would never reach retailers, much less consumers.
Fast forward almost a year ahead and the earliest releases from LV’s towering Artistic Director are finally here, including his vintage hoops-inspired Louis Vuitton Trainer.
A statement piece from Louis Vuitton’s spring/summer 2019 campaign, the shoe is largely representative of classic sneaker design dating back decades.
Of course, focused in the realm of basketball, the shoe is modernized with a luxury sentiment while its color story can be traced back to hallmark moments in Jordan Brand history.
With an indirect reference to the Air Jordan 3 Black/Cement, Abloh’s design, in contrast, triumphs in its ability to stand on its own esteem.
With “54” at the heel in an ode of the brand’s birth year, 1854, monogram flowers add a delightfulness to the outsole. Abloh, too, continues something he started with Nike and “The Ten” using the intimacy of his personal handwriting to pen “Louis Vuitton” at the lateral paneling.
Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Trainer carries a hefty $1,200 price time and is currently available on the brand’s website.
However, potential buyers are required to “call for availability” before purchase and subsequent delivery.
Update 3/15: Alongside the “Black Cement” inspired colorway seen above, Virgil Abloh’s Louis Vuitton Trainer Sneaker appears ready for warmer weather with its White/Green edition. Featuring premium materials, gold foil signature detailing for Abloh, and monogram flowers at the outsole, for availability on this spring ready pair visit here.
