Following in the footsteps of competitors Hermès and Gucci, Louis Vuitton is seeking to make its footwear more sustainable. The luxury brand is launching an updated version of its LV Trainer — a design created by late menswear artistic director Virgil Abloh — now crafted from 90 percent recycled and bio-sourced materials. In line with its new build, the sneaker also boasts Louis Vuitton’s sustainable development logo.
LV’s new take on the Trainer arrives a year after the brand introduced its first unisex and eco-friendly sneaker. Dubbed the Charlie, the silhouette is also made of 90 percent recycled and bio-sourced materials, with a goal of appealing to a more mindful consumer market. As a Forbes report highlights, both Millennials and Generation Z shoppers prefer to buy from sustainable brands — meaning luxury labels have to offer something other than flashy motifs if they want to make sales. Louis Vuitton’s Charlie and reworked LV Trainer are likely just the beginning of what the label has planned for sustainable styles.
A greener sneaker —
Red, black, and green color schemes of the updated LV Trainer will be available, with each flaunting the same recycled materials. Ninety-four percent of the shoe’s outsole has been built from recycled polyurethane, improving not only the sneaker’s sustainability but also its lightness and comfort. Recycled cotton makes up the Trainer’s lining, while its insole is made of 100 percent recycled polyurethane.
Recycled polyester has been paired with biodegradable corn plastic to make up the upper. The tongue is constructed from recycled polyester, and plastic waste has been given new life as the sneaker’s laces.
With a notorious eye for detail, Louis Vuitton hasn’t limited its sustainable efforts to just the LV Trainer. The shoe’s packaging has also been designed with the environment in mind, boasting a box made of 10 percent recyclable cardboard. Inside the packaging, unprocessed kraft paper protects the sneakers, while Louis Vuitton’s logo has been printed using vegetable ink. Overall, the box’s materials have been reduced by 70 percent, the brand stated in a press release.
Coming this fall —
All good things take time, and the revamped LV Trainer won’t be available until September. When the sneaker is eventually released via the Louis Vuitton website, however, expect its price tag to match its ultra-green design.
