High fashion’s thing for streetwear has always been a little like a situationship—intense, convenient, and constantly circling back for more. Case in point: Rick Owens and Converse, a love story built on oversized soles, beefed-up silhouettes, and the shared belief that subtlety is overrated. What started in 2021 as the TURBOWPN—a goth-forward, beefed-up remix of Converse’s ’80s Weapon sneaker—has now reached its third chapter. And yes, it’s still giving “I read Baudrillard and deadlift in the same outfit” energy. 
  

This time, the sneaker’s returned with a familiar face (the stark white-on-white) and a new neutral shade called Oyster Grey—clean, slightly pretentious, and probably about to be moodboarded by every architecture student in Delhi. Owens hasn’t toned it down, though. The tread’s still ridiculous, the tongue is still dramatically long, and the overall vibe remains: don’t talk to me unless you also wear Rick. 
  

But this is just one of the many unholy unions that somehow made fashion history. Because when luxury labels shack up with streetwear brands, the results can be brilliant, bizarre, or both. Here’s a look at the most unexpected—and era-defining—collaborations that made us queue, click, and occasionally cry at resale prices. 

Rick Owens x Converse TURBOWPN 

Vibe: Gothic meets court sneaker meets architecture student on a bender. 

The TURBOWPN isn’t so much a sneaker as it is a walking sculpture. It’s big, brooding, and completely non-apologetic in design—a fitting match for Rick Owens, the designer who’s made a career out of treating the runway like a dark altar. This is the third drop in a series that started in 2021, and it’s not getting any less dramatic. Oversized tread? Check. Elongated tongue? Check. Premium cowhide so soft it should be criminal? Also check. It's not for the faint of heart—or faint of outfit. 

Louis Vuitton x Supreme 

Vibe: Boardroom exec steals a skateboard and a logo. 

In 2017, LV and Supreme dropped the kind of collab that made both streetwear nerds and luxury loyalists spiral. The audacity of the LV monogram fused with Supreme’s blocky red-and-white logo set off alarms across the industry—what was once a cease-and-desist scenario turned into the most hyped capsule in fashion history. Trunks, jackets, tees, and even a skateboard deck turned resale platforms into battlegrounds. It was capitalism in its most logo-heavy form—and it worked. 

Comme des Garçons x Converse 

Vibe: Minimalist cool with a hint of Japanese weirdness. 

Before high-fashion collabs became runway regulars, Rei Kawakubo quietly dropped her version of the Chuck Taylor with a red heart peeking over the rubber sole. It looked like it belonged to someone who reads theory for fun but still parties in abandoned warehouses. And somehow, it became the uniform for art students and architects everywhere. Years later, it's still a gateway sneaker for those looking to dip a toe into designer-dom without going full Rick. 

Jordan Brand x Dior 

Vibe: Italian leather, American hustle. 

The Dior x Air Jordan 1 was the kind of sneaker you didn’t wear—you displayed it like fine china. Made in Italy, lined with Dior obliques, and with a price tag that matched some people’s rent, this collab was pure theatre. Limited to 8,500 pairs globally, it blurred the line between sportswear and runway craftsmanship. It wasn’t a sneaker—it was a status symbol with a swoosh. 

Fear of God x Ermenegildo Zegna 

Vibe: West Coast soul meets Savile Row tailoring. 

This one didn’t scream for attention. It whispered with intent. Jerry Lorenzo’s laid-back American aesthetic got a refined Italian update through Zegna’s decades-long expertise in menswear. Think precision-cut suits that still let you breathe. Luxe wool hoodies that don’t look out of place at a board meeting. And neutral tones so rich you’d think they came with a trust fund. 

Yeezy x GAP x Balenciaga 

Vibe: Post-apocalyptic dadcore with brand synergy. 

This might be the weirdest ménage à trois in fashion history. Kanye (Ye?) promised affordable Yeezy via GAP, then threw in Demna’s Balenciaga to complicate things. What we got was a wardrobe that looked like it was pulled from The Hunger Games wardrobe department—oversized black hoodies, shrouded faces, dystopia by way of the mall. Marketing was cryptic. Product drops came in trash bags. And yet—sold out in minutes. 

The North Face x Gucci 

Vibe: If a botanist got lost in a vintage store and ended up in the Alps. 

It was the collab nobody expected but everyone low-key loved. Gucci’s maximalist print obsession met North Face’s utilitarian outerwear, and what came out was camping couture. Puffer jackets with floral prints, tents that cost more than apartments, and a new benchmark for glamping aesthetics. Outdoorsy, but with a runway pass. 

Jordan Brand x Off-White 

Vibe: Deconstruction with a side of basketball nostalgia. 

Virgil Abloh’s touch was unmistakable—quotation marks, industrial tags, raw stitching. With Jordan, he made the sneaker a canvas. The "Chicago" 1s became grails, instantly. These were shoes that acknowledged the blueprint of sneaker culture and then promptly tore it apart. RIP Virgil—but the drip remains eternal. 

McQ by Alexander McQueen x PUMA 

Vibe: Pre-Savage Beauty, gym edition. 

Back when designer x sneaker brand collabs were still taboo, McQueen quietly partnered with Puma. The result? Streamlined silhouettes with anatomical shapes and understated, often eerie detailing. Think performance meets poetry. It never reached Off-White levels of hype, but for collectors, this one’s a hidden gem. 

Balenciaga X Crocs 

The meme became a shoe. Then a heel. Then a platform. 

What began as a “you won’t believe this” moment turned into a recurring fever dream. Balenciaga took the world’s most mocked shoe and made it high fashion—literally. First came platform Crocs, then Croc stilettos, and at one point, rubber boots that looked like they'd survived a nuclear meltdown. It was ugly, ironic, and brilliantly trolled the fashion establishment. And the worst part? They sold out. 

MSCHF x Birkenstock (made from Birkin bags) 

Luxury, literally skinned alive. 

MSCHF didn’t collaborate so much as commit fashion taxidermy. They took actual Hermès Birkin bags, cut them up, and stitched them into Birkenstocks. It was equal parts performance art and capitalist chaos. Prices started at $34,000. Were they wearable? Debatable. Were they a commentary on consumption? Absolutely. Also: kind of iconic. 

Prada x Adidas 

Luxury minimalism met sport, and decided to stay civil. 

Unlike the chaos of most fashion collabs, this one kept things clean. Think premium leathers, monochrome palettes, and just enough branding to feel smug about. It didn’t break the internet, but it didn’t need to. Prada x Adidas was for people who call their sneakers “trainers” and believe quiet luxury should still come in a dust bag. 

Maison Margiela x Reebok 

Split-toe absurdism meets protein-shake practicality. 

Margiela brought its signature Tabi split-toe to Reebok’s very normal Club C and Instapump Fury models—and the results were... divisive. Some saw them as conceptual gold. Others saw hooves. Either way, they blurred the line between wearable art and footwear satire. Tabis for the gym? Sure. Just don’t skip leg day.