Luxury Math: Louis Vuitton's Next Big Sneaker Is Pharrell + (adidas x Nike/Ice Cream)
If you're paying attention, you'll notice that Pharrell's Louis Vuitton footwear typically sets the tone for the collection to come. Consider his collaborative LV Timberland boots, which preluded a blue collar-tinged Fall/Winter 2024 menswear line, and the LV "Footprint" Soccer shoes that kicked off a sport Spring/Summer 2025.
So, if FW25's ButterSoft sneaker is anything to go by, Pharrell's LV menswear collection will be pure retro streetwear, perhaps with the XXXL cuts to match.
The chunky ButterSoft sneaker was revealed on January 17 by way of the @skateboard Instagram page, dedicated to (and presumably run by) Pharrell's LV menswear design team.
It is very much a Pharrell Louis Vuitton shoe. But you don't need me to tell you that.
I mean, beyond the LV monogram so big you could see it from space, there's also the sneaker's sheer scale, which mirrors the immense volume of Pharrell's LV Maxi Trainers. This is another Phat (capital P) shoe, and it's presumably quite plush, too, going off the name.
Further, as many astute commenters noted, the LV ButterSoft shoe is a blend of familiar design cues likely pulled from Pharrell's past.
There's an obvious throughline between the shape of the LV ButterSoft and the Nike Corteiz, for instance, itself a direct influence upon the BoardFlip sneakers released by Pharrell's Ice Cream label back in the aughts. Even if it's an indirect Nike homage, there's some connective tissue to the Swoosh.
Further, the puffed-up size of the LV ButterSoft recalls the massive footprint of Pharrell's recent ultra-thick adidas Superstar, nicknamed the "Double Wide."
These massive Superstar shoes, which never saw proper release, inflated the old-school adidas classic to immense proportions.
Going back further, you can even tie the day-glo colors of the LV ButterSoft shoe to Pharrell's "SuperColor" Superstar pack from 2015.
10 years ago, Skateboard P remixed the adidas Superstar with a couple dozen ultra-bright tonal colorways, a very of the moment collaboration.
And of the now, apparently.
