Celine's First Sneaker Collab Turns Reebok's Aerobics Icon Into a Luxury Staple
Michael Rider's Celine has reworked the 1982 Reebok Freestyle Lo in soft lambskin and eight colourways. Here's the story behind the house's first sneaker collaboration.
Celine does not do collaborations. Apart from an eyewear licensing deal back in 2010, the French house has kept its name to itself for decades. So when creative director Michael Rider sent a pair of Reebok sneakers down the runway at his first standalone menswear show in June, it was a clear signal that things were changing.
That shoe, the Celine/Reebok Freestyle Lo, went on sale on 10 September after a presentation during New York Fashion Week, and sizes in several colours have already started to sell out.
An aerobics classic, reconsidered
The choice of shoe is the interesting part. Rather than reaching for one of Reebok's better-known retro runners, Rider picked the Freestyle, a model with a surprisingly important place in sneaker history. Designed by Angel Martinez and launched in 1982, it was one of the first athletic shoes made and marketed specifically for women, and it became a defining piece of the aerobics boom. At its peak in the mid-1980s it accounted for more than half of Reebok's sales.
Celine has described the project as "heritage two ways: Paris street, American movement", and the finished shoe reflects exactly that. The low, rounded silhouette is instantly recognisable, but the upper is now soft, pliable lambskin with a gently worn-in feel, and Reebok's side logos have been stripped away entirely. Celine branding appears only on the tongue and heel, so the shape does the talking.
Eight ways to wear it
The collection comes in eight colourways, most of them grounded in Celine's quietly polished palette:
- Optic White
- Beige
- Peanut
- Butter
- Dark Brown
- Oxblood
- Black
- Fluo Red
Fluo Red is the standout statement pair, while the neutrals are designed to slot into a wardrobe the way a good white sneaker does, only with considerably more polish.
Why it matters
Luxury houses teaming up with sportswear brands is nothing new, but this one feels different. It is Rider's first major collaboration since taking the top job at Celine, and rather than piling on logos, he has leaned into restraint. It fits the broader shift in luxury towards pieces that signal taste and knowledge rather than shouting a brand name, and it gives a much-loved everyday shoe a genuinely new context.
Price and availability
- Price: US$750 per pair
- Released: 10 September 2026
- Sizing: women's sizing at launch
- Where to buy: exclusively through Celine, online and in boutiques
Australian pricing has not been widely published, so check Celine's Australian online store or its Collins Street, Melbourne boutique for local availability.
Source: Celine. Image courtesy of Celine.
