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Ahead of Louis Vuitton‘s SS27 men’s show, Pharrell Williams gave an early preview of the house’s newest sneaker silhouette: the LV Combi, and the internet wasted no time calling out what it looks like.
The Combi wears its skate DNA openly. Low profile, vulcanized sole, a toe panel that wraps the sides of the shoe, chunky rope laces… You can’t deny that it’s giving Vans Authentic, and even Vans knew it. The brand jumped into the comments of Williams’ @skateboard Instagram with “Ohhhh bet,” which is honestly the most on-brand response possible. They then posted a photo of the Authentic on their Instagram with the caption “Wanna know the time. Better clock us.” — a lyric pulled from “Mr. Me Too,” a Clipse track about denouncing imitators that Williams produced. The caption hits deeper when you consider Malice’s next bar in the song: “N****s bite the style from the shoes to the watches.”
What makes the whole thing even better is the name. “Combi” or “kombi” is a term for passenger vans, most famously the Volkswagen Type 2. So Williams went ahead and named his Vans-looking shoe after a van. Whether that’s intentional humor or a happy accident, we’re choosing to believe he did it on purpose.
There’s also some real skating history baked into the name. The “Combi” is a reference to the legendary Combi Pool, which was originally built at the Upland Pipeline Skatepark in California in the early ’80s and considered one of the greatest pools in skateboarding history. Vans later built a faithful replica at their skatepark in Orange County, CA, which just closed its doors in 2025 after 20 years of hosting some of the most iconic sessions in modern skating.
Materially, the LV Combi steps far outside of what the Authentic ever offered. The standout pair on display comes in a red crocodile-textured upper with metal eyelets and Vachetta leather hits at the toe and heel. There were a few more makeups previewed in Williams’ post, including a dark green and light grey croc, navy python, a clean white-and-black canvas, five different LV Monogram styles, and a fluffy striped version that reads more like an art project than a sneaker.
It’s not the first time Williams has mined skate history for LV inspiration. The ButterSoft from a couple of seasons back drew comparisons to the Nike Cortez, though the real reference point was the ICECREAM Board Flip, a 2006 sneaker he and NIGO designed in partnership with Reebok before things went sideways with the brand. The Combi feels like another chapter in that same story.
The LV Combi is slated to release next year as part of Louis Vuitton’s Men’s SS27 collection. Check out the Combi below and stay tuned to Modern Notoriety for updates.
Louis Vuitton Combi
Release Date: Spring 2027
