Balenciaga and Valentino are giving two of everyone’s favorite OG sneakers a high fashion makeover.
Collaborations between fashion houses and footwear giants aren’t new, but 2025 already boasts a slew of stand-outs. There’s the Swarovski x Nike Ja 2 basketball shoes released in time for the NBA All-Star Weekend, as well as the Fenty x Puma Avanti LS kicks that pop icon Rihanna designed herself, among other drops that kicked off the year.
While they all seem kind of unexpected, it all makes a lot of sense. Shoes, like many other things in life, have become a canvas for designers to showcase their innovative ideas. And the newest pairs to capture the public eye are the ones Balenciaga and Valentino stepped into during Paris Fashion Week.
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For Fall/Winter 2025, Balenciaga pounced on Puma’s it-sneaker, a.k.a. the Speedcat, to give it a high-fashion makeover. First introduced in 1999, the Puma Speedcat is a fashionable iteration of the fireproof boots worn by Grand Prix drivers in the ‘80s and ‘90s. With its notably narrow silhouette and signature sleek lines, the kicks have become a staple for today’s hottest stars, like Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Troye Sivan to name a few.
The Balenciaga x Puma collaborative sneakers retained much of the traditional elements of the Speedcat OG. Like the pair named the best sneaker of 2024, Balenciaga and Puma’s new kicks still own the low-profile sneaker trend with its race-shoe-inspired shape and flat rubber sole.
In true Balenciaga fashion, the collaborative sneakers were given an edgier twist with the use of distressed and deconstructed materials. For starters, the pair has a ripped-off Formstrip, just like how a real feisty feline would tear up a shoe. Adding to the worn-in look is the smooth yet aged suede leather used for the uppers.
Puma’s logos remain in their usual spots on the toe box, while minimal co-branded detailing is stitched between the panel stripe and eyelets. Balenciaga went beyond the aesthetic by including a pull tab on the heel, enabling you to slip into the pair with more ease.
The Balenciaga x Puma Speedcat comes in three colors—white, navy blue, and black—to match the tracksuits, zip-up hoodies, bomber jackets, puffer vests, suede bathrobes, and accessories completing the two powerhouses’ collab expected to arrive in stores later this year.
Like Balenciaga, Valentino is not missing a step in its quest to wow fashion junkies with the unexpected. During its Fall/Winter 2025 presentation, which, by the way, was boldly staged inside a bathroom, the Italian fashion house unveiled its own snazzy pairs of skate shoes.
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Valentino creative director Alessandro Michele transformed Vans into high fashion with a collaboration on the Authentic—the skate shoe brand’s iconic OG shoe. The Authentic is the first-ever trainer that Vans released in 1966 and has since been the silhouette for every single shoe it has released.
With its classic low-top design, canvas uppers, and rubber waffle outsole, the Authentic is the perfect slate for creatives across various industries to showcase their designs. And while Michele could’ve reimagined the shoe with a theatrical twist like the rest of Valentino’s FW 2025 capsule, the designer instead kept the pair as real as it can be, making it a shoe that you can still actually skate in.
The Vans x Authentic comes in four colorways, with each one sporting Vans’ iconic checkerboard pattern and incorporates the house’s rectangular “V” logo into it. There’s a pair that features a black and pink checkerboard, while another has black/red.
The other half of the bunch is the one that stood out more. One pair features a striking play of colors, with its black and green checkerboard matched with red palm trees. Then there’s the red, white, and light blue colorway with a repeating pattern of both brands’ logos and “I Love My Vans” print.
While this may be Valentino’s first time teaming up with Vans, the case isn’t the same for Michele. When he was still with Gucci, Michele collaborated with Vans on an Old Skool, OG Mule, and three OG Classic Slip-Ons that the house debuted in 2023 as part of its “Continuum” collection.
The Valentino x Vans Authentic Skate Shoe is slated to jump into Valentino and Vans stores worldwide later this year.
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