Louis Vuitton has created a commotion with its women’s Archlight sneaker, a shoe that marks the label’s entry into the dad shoe trend, a look that’s overtaken the sneaker category.
The Archlight stands out because of its sky-high $1,090 price tag, but also because of its distinct split sole bottom. The split sole is indeed a product of the dance world and while many companies make split sole shoes and sneakers, Capezio’s Fierce and Rock It Dansneaker silhouettes are the most famous.
Without getting into technical details (because frankly we don’t know what they are), the split sole is functional and meant to provide the dancer with greater arch support. Priced at $69, you could buy approximately 16 pairs of the Dansneaker for one pair of Archlight kicks.
Comparing the two silhouettes, it’s clear LV’s Archlight is inspired by the concept of a split sole. Louis Vuitton women’s designer claims Nicolas Ghesquière claims the shoe was inspired by basketball and the future, but we see nothing basketballish about the Archlight. In addition to the split sole, there are also some similarities between the the lacing systems on both shoes, but really, that’s where the similarities end.
The Archlight has a much more exaggerated midsole construction than Capezio’s version, and the Archlight also features an extended tongue and heel tab.
A lot has been made of the difference in price between the brands, $1,090 for the Archlight versus $69 for the Dansneaker. For starters, it’s a sure bet that the quality of the Archlight materials and construction is much higher than the Dansneaker.
As well, a big chunk of the price difference can be attributed to the Louis Vuitton logo. While people tend to dismiss logos as nothing more than mere symbols, in reality luxury labels and all brands for that matter massive budgets building up the equity of logos so they hold import in the minds of consumers.
Judging someone by what logos they wear may not be ideal human behavior, but for better or worse it’s a reality for a big chunk of the population and has been for a very long time. Louis Vuitton knows this reality of human psychology better than most because it’s been creating luxury products since, oh, 1854!
If by chance you are a human who covets a statement luxury sneaker, the Archlight is now exclusively available to purchase at a pop-up shop in SoHo; details on the location and global timing here.
Check out images of the Capezio Dansneaker and the Louis Vuitton Archlight below.
