Lanvin Sneakers: Are They Worth It? – Men’s Luxury Parisian Tennis Shoe Review

While sneakers certainly aren’t considered a staple of classic menswear, we at the Gentleman’s Gazette can’t dismiss them outright; they’re part of a great many men’s wardrobes, and storied luxury brands are even getting into the sneaker market–case in point, the French fashion house, Lanvin! Here’s our verdict on whether Lanvin’s DBB1 tennis shoe is worth its price.

This post is an installment of our Is It Worth It? review series, and today we talk about sneakers from the brand Lanvin.

You wouldn’t expect to see sneakers on Raphael or Preston, but I happen to be a big fan of them for certain outfits. I’m not talking about any kind of sneaker, just those that have a sleek and modern look from the popular menswear brand Lanvin.

These would usually include a leather sneaker with a solid upper, little to no branding, and really no athletic purpose other than just walking. I wear sneakers with jeans, chinos, dress shirts, and even sweaters so that the look is polished and looks appropriate for most occasions.

There are a few more reasons to take a look at the shoe. Like an Hermes belt, it has a high price tag. It is hyped and hashtagged across social media. And there is not much special about it, besides the brand.

A typical pair of sneakers can cost you anywhere from $450 to $550. That same amount of money could also be spent on a pair of quality leather dress shoes, which will last you for decades. The same can’t be said for sneakers.

Lanvin: The French Couture House

Lanvin is the third oldest French fashion house still in operation. It was started by Jeanne Lanvin, a talented milliner, in 1889. She designed a luxurious wardrobe for her young daughter, who caught the eye of wealthy people. Lanvin first focused on children’s clothing but soon began to work on mother’s and daughter’s clothing together. She soon became a formal couturier in 1909.

Her original clientele were women, but in the 1920s, she began to expand into furs, lingerie, perfume, home decor, and menswear. Lanvin was the first Parisian designer to launch a made-to-measure clothing line for men in 1926.

By the end of the decade, she had 23 ateliers and 800 employees. The company was first sold in 1990 and was run by a family member until 1996. The company changed hands and creative directors many times over the next 30 years, and a Shanghai-based conglomerate Fosun International currently holds the majority stake.

Nowadays, Lanvin is similar to many other high-end fashion houses. They focus on seasonal, trend-driven collections. For example, for men, they offer ready-to-wear evening pants with a satin waistband. This is paired with a long sleeve t-shirt and red and gold trainers. It doesn’t feature a gallon stripe. They also don’t offer a matching jacket.

Clearly, their goal is to break rules and to create new trends. So, it’s unlikely that a company with this kind of approach will focus on truly classic menswear. Based on the clothing that Lanvin offers, their popular sneakers seem almost pedestrian.

The Lanvin DBB1 Sneakers

The iconic sneaker from Lanvin is model DBB1. This is a low top sneaker with a flat rubber sole, a prominent cap toe with tone on tone stitching, trimmed edges, and tone in tone shoelaces. This model is made in Portugal.

Style and Overall Appearance 

The overall look is mature and understated for a sneaker; no loud branding colors or details. It comes in a range of muted colors, mostly white, black, and shades of gray, and also the occasional earth tones like an olive green or shade of brown.

Lanvin clearly doesn’t want this to be the trendiest of their shoe lineup. They have many other loud and over-the-top options for men who want to be flashy.

The toe cap of the shoe is usually in contrast to the rest of the upper, most typically as a tone on tone contrast and a different finish; for example, such as suede, calfskin leather, patent leather, or even a croc-embossed leather.

Sizing of Lanvin Sneakers

It’s important to know that this model only comes in whole sizes, which can be quite awkward for many men. This situation can be further complicated by the fact that Lanvin also says that their DBB1 model runs one half to one whole size large. So, you need to decide what whole size makes sense for you.

For Its High Price Point: Is It Worth It?

Materials in Lanvin Sneakers

While $450 to $550 does sound expensive for sneakers, it’s actually not outrageous. It’s still highly overpriced for the materials and the kind of shoe that it is, but at least it has great quality if basic materials in comparison to the average sneaker.

They’re 100% calfskin uppers and linings, which makes for a comfortable feel. The soles are 100% rubber, which is unusual for sneakers. Not only is it a natural material, but it’ll also take much more of a beating than other rubber look-alike sole materials.

You’re still paying substantially for the brand and for the ability to have a #Lanvin sneakers on your Instagram page. The look is mature and understated, so for men who want to stay on the dressy end of the spectrum, this is a great option, if you’re willing to pay the price. 

Pattern & Color

We like that there is minimal branding and none that is visible on the outside of the shoe. The only tell that these are Lanvin sneakers would be the characteristic toe cap. We like the least flashy options and tone on tone uppers and caps in colors like green, brown, or white.

The patent leather is the least appealing option because it’s such a formal material. It’s really out of place here. Black patent should be reserved for formal wear and evening attire, not sneakers. This is mostly a cry for attention.

So, we suggest opting for a more appropriate leather option for casual footwear. That being said, black in menswear is also a very formal color. Traditionally it’s only a part of Evening Attire or funeral attire, and you definitely shouldn’t be wearing sneakers to a funeral. I hope that goes without saying. It’s also highly overrated as a color on its own.

Many of the shoe options are black, some even having black rubber soles as well. Unless you’re wearing contrasting pants, black will have the effect of making your legs and feet recede, and it’s just a bit boring.

Lanvin Sneakers’ Versatility

In terms of how much you can get out of a product, that really depends on you. As we said, Preston and Raphael will probably never wear sneakers, but I do tend to wear them from time to time. I would pair these sneakers with a dark pair of jeans, a dark turtleneck sweater, and perhaps a camel overcoat just to add a pop of color, or perhaps even like the outfit I’m wearing today, with a dark sport coat, a white button-down shirt, and a pair of khaki slim chinos.

In our opinion, the brown version is the most versatile. It’s more casual than black and will pair nicely with jeans and chinos, without looking too dark. Though Lanvin does offer a white option, someone who is after a more classic look might find this color a bit limiting. White is bold and will contrast with almost anything you wear with it. White shoes tend to draw your eye down, so for guys who like to wear dark pants and white sneakers, it tends to make people focus on your feet, rather than your whole outfit.

White will call even more attention to the fact that these are sneakers, and this will cause them to look as casual as they can be. Bear in mind that this look, regardless of the color chosen, will be much harder for a mature man to pull off than a younger man. We talk about this issue at length in our Mistakes Older Men Make When Trying To Look Young guide. Wearing pieces commonly associated with youth can make you look like you’re trying too hard. It can sometimes be just too hard to pull off.

Our Verdict: Not Worth It

In conclusion, we do not think Lanvin sneakers are worth it. They are expensive, basic, not too versatile, a little bit difficult to size, and they focus a little bit too much on the color black, in general, which makes them quite boring. It’s from a trendy brand, which will focus on the next best thing. So, don’t expect the trend to last forever.

If you really like this look, there are many other options out there that are almost identical for a quarter of the price, and frankly, a good loafer or driving moc will make you look much more put together.

Would you spend your money on Lanvin sneakers? Or would you rather skip sneakers altogether? Let us know what you think in the comments!