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Shop the Long-Awaited Drop While Supplies Last
It’s not every day that a footwear brand at the forefront of skate sneakers’ revival joins forces with one of the world’s most renowned fashion houses, but, improbably, that day is today. As of September 19, you can now shop the much-anticipated Valentino Garavani x Vans collaboration, which takes the latter’s Authentic silhouette and completely reimagines it from the hand of Valentino‘s current creative director, Alessandro Michele.
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The two labels have just unveiled five distinct interpretations of the beloved shoe, taking its price from a humble $55 to a whopping $490. As it turns out, every penny is worth it, since this might be the very best a Vans vulcanized sneaker has ever looked. Now offered in a checkerboard red or pink, as well as an “I Love My Vans” print, a combination of checkerboard green plus bright-orange tropical leaves, and Vans’ classic black-and-white patterning dolled up with circles in Valentino’s signature red, the Vans Authentic is capable of not only supporting all of your tasteful outfit equations this season but singlehandedly powering them.
Those of us who are afraid of change will be happy to know that customers are getting the old with the new here. Vans’ light but durable canvas upper remains, alongside the Vans heel scab and the waffle-patterned outsole that provides excellent grip whether you’re racking up miles on city streets or learning the kickflip. Fresh elements, besides those glam-meets-urban-cool designs, include a co-branded footbed, Valentino’s logo tastefully scattered on the upper, and custom, elevated packaging that lives up to the status of the shoe it now holds.
Based on the recent rollouts of low-top, skate-adjacent footwear styles on the runways of everyone from Prada to Dior, it’s clear that this shoe type’s resurgence has not only jumped over from the technical to the lifestyle realm but also succumbed to the gravitational pull of the luxury fashion sector. As for the collaboration product in question, it was also debuted on a runway: specifically Valentino‘s fall 2025 one, on which models paired its various styles (particularly “Valentino Checkerboard Red” and “Valentino Tropical Leaves”) with power-shouldered blazers, fur-laden coats, and other unlikely garb that proved maximalist, opulent fashion can coexist with styles that lean more athletic.
If recent history is any indication, Vans is on an upward trajectory when it comes to serving up inventive and instantly covetable spins on its most-loved silhouettes, whether that means unrolling more Premium versions of highly regarded icons like the Old Skool or keeping fans on their toes with partnerships, which breathe new life into the brand that’s been a cultural mainstay since 1966.
We’re not mad about this one bit, by the way, and urge you to get your hands on the Valentino x Vans drop before — like all good things in life — it comes to an end and you’re faced with a dreaded “out of stock” notification.
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Valentino Garavani x Vans Authentic in “Valentino Checkerboard Red”
Valentino Garavani x Vans Authentic in “Valentino Big Dots”
Valentino Garavani x Vans Authentic in “Valentino Tropical Leaves”
Valentino Garavani x Vans Authentic in “Valentino Vans Love”
Valentino Garavani x Vans Authentic in “Valentino Checkerboard Pink”
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Meet the Author
Stacia Datskovska is a Senior Commerce Writer at WWD and FN. Previously, she worked at ELLE DECOR as an assistant digital editor, covering all things luxury, culture, and lifestyle through a design lens. Her bylines over the past five years have appeared in USA Today, Baltimore Sun, Teen Vogue, Boston Globe, Food & Wine, and more. Prior to joining ELLE DECOR, Datskovska learned the ins and outs of e-commerce at Mashable, where she tested products, covered tentpole sales events, and curated gift guide roundups. She graduated from NYU with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and international relations. Datskovska frequently covers must-buy footwear and notable fashion collaborations.