The Best Sneaker Moments on the Red Carpet

The 2026 NFL Draft is going down on Thursday in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and the players arrived dressed to the nines. While most of the college football stars suited up for the event and stepped out in shiny dress shoes, others kept it a bit more casual and playful with their footwear opting for sneakers.

Colton Hood of the University of Tennessee arrived in a vibrant cobalt blue suit that added an electric contrast against the red carpet. He laced into a pair of all white designer sneakers. The football cornerback opted for the Bottega Veneta Orbit Sneakers, which retail for $1,150. The runner sneaker is made from transparent technical rubber and mesh, and features a lace-up design and a rubber outsole. He wore them in the glass/white colorway.

Kadyn Proctor, who plays for the University of Alabama, dressed up in a purple and black checkered double-breasted suit. He might be in sneakers but the football player made sure to slip into a designer pair for the big event. He opted for the Louis Vuitton LV Trainer Black Monogram “1AAREZ” sneakers, which are all black with white accents and laces throughout.

The LV Trainer sneaker combines smooth calf leather with grained calf leather, which is embossed with Louis Vuitton’s Monogram pattern. The cult sneaker was designed by Virgil Abloh, who ironically drew inspiration from vintage basketball sneakers. The rubber outsole, which is decorated with Monogram Flowers, is matched to the upper for a colorblock look. LV Initials can be found on the tongue, side and back, with the Vuitton signature on the side. The shoes are available on the Louis Vuitton website for $1,370.

Similarly, Jordyn Tyson of Arizona State was also in Louis Vuitton sneakers. The wide receiver opted for the LV Skate Sneaker 1AD8Q7 in black and white. The LV Skate sneaker references a 90s-inspired design first seen at Louis Vuitton’s fall 2022 men’s show.

Its elaborate, bicolor upper with Monogram Flower detailing combines technical mesh, calf leather and suede. According to the brand, this model is notable for its padded collar, technical double laces and bicolor rubber outsole decorated with Monogram Flowers.

Francis Mauigoa, who plays for the University of Miami’s Miami Hurricanes football team, opted for his own Louis Vuitton sneaker design. He also opted for the LV Trainer Sneaker 1AHT20 in the brown colorway, which retail for $1,360. Leaning into the denim sneaker trend, the LV Trainer sneaker is revisited in Monogram denim for a relaxed look.

The cult design, which was inspired by vintage basketball sneakers, is notable for its elaborately constructed upper with rubber LV Initials and Vuitton signatures. It is finished with thick white laces and a two-tone rubber outsole decorated with Monogram Flowers. Take a look at what shoes the other aspiring NFL stars wore to the draft below.