Ever wonder who came up with the idea of designer kicks? Back in 2006, Mr Lucas Ossendrijver revolutionised what the world wears on its feet. Now he’s at it again.

Cast your mind back to 2006. Mr James Blunt was in the charts. The Hills was on the TV. But wait, wait… what were those things on your feet? Probably some kind of slightly too-pointy shoe, jutting out menacingly from under a pair of skin-tight jeans. Not good. Thank goodness, then for the intervention of Parisian brand Lanvin and its game-changing men’s designer Mr Lucas Ossendrijver, who in February of that year made the bold decision to show sneakers in his AW06 runway show. Of course, this wasn’t the first time this had ever happened – the preceding decades were littered with fashion/sneaker collaborations, from Reebok Pumps at Chanel in 2001 to Mr Yohji Yamamoto’s hook-up with adidas in 2002. But before then, no one had really elevated the sneaker to the status of luxury item – a shoe that you could wear with a suit, or even a tuxedo (as they were styled in the Lanvin show) as easily as you could pad around in at the weekend. Since then, the Lanvin cap-toe sneaker has become a classic, undergoing many twists and turns in its design (key innovations included ribbon-like laces, shearling lining and metallic colourways), but always retaining its appeal. In celebration of this fact (and Mr Ossendrijver’s 10-year tenure at the brand), here are a few of our favourite newly arrived pairs, and a few pieces to wear them with.

Lanvin made a name for itself with sneakers you might consider on the dressy side, but they do a good line in more relaxed pieces, too. Following in the footsteps of the brand’s hugely popular slip-ons (which come in an amazing green zebra print this season), the above two-toned sneakers take a classic skate shoe-shape and make it a little more grown up, with plush suede, off-white rubber detailing and a subtle palette of brown and navy. Wear them with a camp collar shirt and turned-up chinos for a slightly retro, Californian cool.

Wear them with

This recent take on the cap-toe shape comes in a pleasingly crackled grey leather that lends it a bit of a worn-in easiness. As your wardrobe lightens up for summer, these will nicely complement the understated shades of beige, off-white, tan and grey that wear particularly well in the sun. Try them with some Incotex chinos and a lightweight linen blazer from Aspesi.

Wear them with

These black-on-black cap-toe sneakers are reminiscent of Mr Oseendrijver’s very first sneaker designs. As with those, they’re perfect for wearing with skinny black jeans, but in addition, they’ll work with tailoring, thanks to their sleek, minimal design and colour palette. (Though we’d advise you to use a certain amount of discretion when gauging how far to push a “black tie” dress code). Test them out with one of Lanvin’s slim-fit black suits, worn with a plain white T-shirt, and you’ll see what we mean.

Wear them with