Le Luxe et Les Baskets (luxury & sneakers)

Today, as I started writing and posting pictures, I distracted myself by going to the Lanvin site to look closely at a few shoes I saw in the store window. Lanvin, the French luxury fashion house founded in Paris in 1889 by Jeanne Lanvin, is well-known for its handbag, the Le Pencil Cat, among other luxurious items. In the store windows, I spotted three ballerina shoes that captured my attention: La Ballerine en Denim, a gorgeous and iconic shoe with what seems to be a frayed denim outer and leather inner lining - I wondered if the material would eventually mold to the wearer's feet for long-lasting comfort; 2. Slingback Lanvin Bow en Cuir Metallisé, at first glance, I thought the gold bow was made of metal hardware, but it's made of shiny double gold and silver leather. These shoes are quintessential Parisian and would be fabulous with trousers, skirts, or dresses. 3. La Ballerine en cuir avec studs, from the window, the studs looked like silver metal. However, the website shows gold studs, which makes this shoe a dream come true for me. I had a pair of similar Ferragamo shoes with crystal studs. But either my feet grew, or I ordered the wrong size, and after a few wears, I decided to sell them on Poshmark instead of wearing something ill-fitting.  
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Currently, Lanvin has an archive sale of up to 80% off. I will browse, but my eyes may be stuck on one of these three shoes. I did not have to enter any information to access the archive sale, which I liked. 

Today, I also passed Hermès and Anne Fontaine. Houston has a Hermès store in the River Oaks Shopping Center, but I don't recall it having a vast and decorative window display. Today's windows in Paris are highly decorative and chic. I can see how people fall in love with the brand. The displays suggest Hermès is not only a brand but also a lifestyle, all of the clothes, shoes, and accessories you'll need. In addition, I see a confident, sporty, and chic woman. She is a woman who knows what she wants, and she goes after it, whether it's leisure, athletics, traveling, education, or glamour.

In Paris, I am discovering new brands and sharing them with you as I reminisce about my days. I noticed Anne Fontaine, a women's apparel and accessories store strategically located in two ultra-high and high net-worth neighborhoods aligned with luxury stores. I saw a few beautiful things in the window for a Parisian woman to wear for a night out at a lovely brunch or a business meeting. There were bejeweled collars, well-pressed cotton, embroidered shirts, lace, luxurious dresses, and I'm sure there were many more things I have yet to discover. If I had my way, I would immediately get my hands on this purple dress. ​

So I'm saving the best for last since today we were on Avenue des Champs-Élysées; I thought we should make a beeline over to the large Footlocker so that I could check out sneakers and see what was new and trendy or maybe reinvented or timeless and classic designs. Footlocker did not disappoint. Of course, they carry all the major brands and even have a few new exclusives at the front of the store. I'm not sure if these are exclusive to Footlocker or to France, but I think it would be amazing to buy a pair of sneakers that you could only find In France. I also went to the Puma store and found it coincidentally on Boulevard de Sébastopol. I was looking to see if I could find any Jamaican apparel from Puma, whether it was a sweatsuit, a T-shirt, or something, so I could walk around Paris and feel really Jamaican when I was ready. Unfortunately, the store didn't have any, but I saw the Jamaican athletic uniform in person and a billboard featuring the legendary Sherika Jackson.
Yes, I know the Olympics are over, but Jamaicans go hard for track and field 365 days out of the year, so I will always be cheering for #TeamJamaica. 

Of the sneakers I saw, I was stunned to see Puma's versatile sneaker portfolio. I thought Puma was a brand primarily focused on casual and track and field sneakers because of their representation in athletics, competitions, and sponsorship of athletes. The designs were very relaxed and colorful. My favorites were the Nike exclusive in red and white, the Dad sneaker from New Balance, Puma's classic all-white, and the black and white Adidas Sambas. I want to do a comfort test on all sneakers to add to my collection. In Paris, you need a comfortable, supportive sneaker like the New Balance for trousers and commuting and a more chill, understated sneaker like the Samba for silk dresses and skirts. ​