Sneakers in Paris Fashion Week
Paris Fashion Week has always been synonymous with couture gowns, avant-garde tailoring, and celebrity-packed front rows — but in 2025, it was the sneakers doing all the talking. From icy reworks of old-school classics to surrealist experiments in shape and silhouette, footwear had a moment on the Parisian runways and sidewalks. Let’s get into the most talked-about sneaker moments from the week that was.
The internet did a collective double-take when A$AP Rocky hit the runway at the Puma x F1 event in a reimagined version of the Puma Speedcat. Once a motorsport staple of the early 2000s, the Speedcat has been revived under Rocky’s creative direction — leaner, sleeker, and unmistakably nostalgic. His version came in a murdered-out triple black with subtle silver detailing, echoing both luxury and performance. Think racetrack energy filtered through a downtown NYC lens. It’s a huge win for Puma, and a statement from Rocky: speed is back, and it’s fashionable.
From Lord Pretty Flacko’s Speedcats to Skateboard P’s jellyfish Adidas the two kicks are somewhat polar opposites but had the same attention. When Pharrell Williams debuted the Adidas “Jellyfish”, it felt like we were watching the future — not just of sneakers, but of wearable art. Translucent, sculptural, and bio-organic in form, the shoes floated down the Louis Vuitton runway with tentacle-like structures that seemed to move with the model’s stride. A mash-up of innovation and imagination, the Jellyfish isn’t just a flex — it’s a provocation. Are we still talking about sneakers? Or are we entering a new era of foot-based sculpture? Either way, Pharrell once again proves he’s playing chess while everyone else is still reading the rulebook. The price point is a bit lit, but we’ll see how the streets receive these.
Off the runway, New Balance had a quiet coup. Celebs, stylists, and editors were spotted in a range of high-end collabs — especially the Joe Freshgoods 9060 and the Aimé Leon Dore 993s. The vibe? Understated luxury with orthotic comfort. And somehow, it works — dad-core (if that’s still a thing) meets Parisian finesse.
Rick Owens’ Geo Baskets made a brutalist comeback with even higher tongues and matte finishes. Rick’s still cooking for the goth gym crowd. Nike x Jacquemus Air Humara 2.0 brought trail-runner aesthetics to the runway, dipped in soft pastels and paired with micro-mini bags. Very Y2K-core.
Paris Fashion Week might be known for its elegance, but 2025 reminded us that the real statements are being made from the ground up. Whether it’s A$AP Rocky resurrecting motorsport classics or Pharrell turning footwear into future fossils, one thing’s clear: sneakers aren’t just here to complement the fit — they are the fit. We start from the feet up.
