Vans to skatepark to runway and back again. Valentino Garavani and Vans' sneaker collaboration doesn’t pull the skate company out of its SoCal environment, it embraces Vans' Cali-cool heritage.

The Valentino Garavani and Vans reads a little like fashion’s last emperor — Mr. Valentino Garavani himself, that is — spending a few months in Southern California, maybe even picking up a board or two, and bringing that energy back to Italy.

This is a surprisingly meta shoe.

For Valentino’s Fall/Winter 2025 collection, “Le Méta Théâtre Des Intimité,” Alessandro Michele reimagines Vans’ most democratic sneaker, the Authentic, through the maison’s theatrical lens. And for Michele, the man behind Gucci Vans, the result merely speaks to his baroquely beautiful mode of expression.

The result?

Six collaborative kicks that remix skatewear’s most iconic silhouette with couture codes: checkerboards flipped pink-and-black, oversized florals, and an “I ❤️ Vans Valentino” print scattered across uppers. All will be available in Japan from September 12 before hitting Valentino's website and boutiques come September 19.

And make no mistake, Vans is having a moment. From Louis Vuitton riffs to luxe in-house variants, the skate classic has been circling fashion’s orbit for years — or, perhaps, vice versa — but 2025 really feels like the year Vans takes on fashion at large.

Valentino stamping its “V” on the Authentic makes it official, kick-pushing a $500 skate shoe from the skate park into couture territory.

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