Lanvin on the Feet of Silicon Valley Elite

FASHION FORWARD FOOTWEAR. For some of Silicon Valley’s elite CEOs, sneakers by Parisian luxury fashion brand Lanvin is the footwear of choice

Lanvin Fall/WInter 2017 Sneaker Collection

Gone are the times of executives dressed in finely tailored suites and sharp looking dress shoes. Since the rise of Silicon Valley, the quintessential style of choice for young executives consists of hoodies, sweaters, jeans and sneakers. Although this may seem pedestrian to the untrained eye, what many fail to notice is that the pieces worn by these dressed-down executives actually come from various high-end fashion brands. Case in point: the sneakers. Or, to be exact, sneakers by high-end fashion brands such as Louis Vuitton, Lanvin, Gucci and Prada, as well as rare production sneakers by your run-of-the-mill sneaker brands like Nike, Adidas, Puma and the likes.

Satya Nadella wearing Lanvin Suede & Patent Leather Low-Top Sneakers in black

But out of all the many different brands offering high-end sneakers, one in particular that has caught the eye—or in this case feet—of tech executives is Paris-based fashion brand Lanvin. The first urban-inspired sneakers by Lanvin, easily recognizable by its iconic leather toe cap, were introduced by the brand’s current creative lead for men Lucas Ossendrijver in fall/winter 2006 as part of his debut collection. Since then, the sneakers have continued to gain popularity and have become the second most sought-after model among San Francisco’s many sneakerheads.

Kevin Systrom wearing Lanvin Classic Leather & Suede High-Top Sneakers

So, what is it about Lanvin’s sneakers that has Silicon Valley’s elites flocking to it? For Instagram CEO Kevin Systrom, the reason is his big feet and the shoes’ comfortable fit. Another executive that has been seen sporting Lanvin sneakers include Microsoft’s Satya Nadella, who favors Lanvin to other, more typical brands due to the former’s simple yet stylish design that goes well with a pair of jeans. As for Google CEO, Sundar Pichai, his preference for Lanvin seems to be influnced by Alphabet Inc. (Google’s parent company) CEO Larry Page, who has been seen wearing Lanvin sneakers during various press events.

Sundar Pichai wearing Lanvin Men’s Cap-Toe Leather Low-Top Sneakers

Due to the popularity of sneakers, not only in the San Francisco tech scene but also in other places around the world where urban fashion begins to amalgamate with luxury menswear, there is a fear that luxury brands are starting to move away from its niche appeal. There is real concern that with luxury brands entering the streetwear market, their exclusivity factor will be blurred. But this is a risk that Osendrijver is willing to take. “Quite often, luxury and streetwear brands operate the same way and speak to the same customer and that’s not a problem at all,” he stated. “For me, the only way to stay relevant as a fashion house is to go forward and to think of the now and the future”

Larry Page wearing Lanvin Low-Top Sneaker with Contrast Heel

So, if your dreams include starting up your very own tech company and you want to dress the part, you might want to consider adding a pair of Lanvin sneakers to your wardrobe.