After weeks of Paris Fashion Week updates dominated by niche fashion collabs, one reveal cut through the noise: SZA x Vans.

Since being named Vans’ artistic director, fans have been waiting to see how SZA would translate her creative vision into actual product.

Until now, we’d only seen her front campaigns for existing silhouettes like the Knu Skool. That changed this week at a Vans meet-and-greet at the brand’s Paris flagship, where SZA casually handed out sample pairs of her first original design.

The shoe is a bold rework of the classic Vans Authentic, completely covered in a fish-scale pattern — a playful, unexpected look that feels like a callback to her CTRL Fishing Company era. It’s loud, weird in the best way, and very on-brand for SZA.

One key detail stood out: she referred to the shoes as “samples,” not a finished product. That suggests the official release may still be some time away, with tweaks or additional designs possibly still in the works.

No release date yet, but if this first look is any indication, Vans is giving SZA real creative control — and the wait might be worth it.