# Airline-Branded Luxury Sneakers The Virgin America First Class Shoes Bring Luxury Flying to Feet By Joey Haar | Published 2016-10-17 | Fashion Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/virgin-america-first-class References: [cnet](https://www.cnet.com/news/virgin-america-first-class-shoes-ebay/) & [ebay](http://www.ebay.com/itm/The-Worlds-Only-Virgin-America-First-Class-Shoe-/191994804785?hash=item2cb3c83a31) Virgin America's [first class seats on flights](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/frontier-airlines) are luxurious, to say the least, and the company is showing that experience with the [Virgin America First Class sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/business-traveler). The shoes, made as a collaboration between Virgin and Milanese design companies Eleven Inc. and SearchnDesign, come replete with a Wi-Fi connection, mood lighting, a video display and a built-in phone charger. The Virgin America First Class shoe isn't just luxurious -- it's also exclusive. In fact, Virgin and its design partners only plan to sell a single pair of the shoes. The sale isn't purely for the sake of a nice pair of kicks, though. 100 percent of the money made from the sale of the shoes will go to Soles4Soles, a [global non-profit that distributes shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-vaporfly-3) and clothing to people in poverty. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 3.5/10 - Popularity: 33% | Activity: 64% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Fashion](https://www.trendhunter.com/fashion) > [Shoes](https://www.trendhunter.com/shoes) ## Key Themes ### What Makes This Trend Stand Out - **Luxury Travel Accessories:** The rise of luxury travel accessories, such as airline-branded sneakers, presents opportunities for brands to offer unique, high-end products that enhance the travel experience. - **Tech-integrated Fashion:** The integration of technology into fashion, as seen in the Virgin America First Class shoes, allows for innovative, multi-functional products that combine style and functionality. - **Charitable Collaborations:** Collaborating with non-profit organizations, like Soles4Soles, to create limited edition products supports social causes while generating buzz and interest among consumers. ### Sectors Adopting This - **Luxury Travel:** Luxury travel brands can explore partnerships with fashion and design companies to create branded accessories that cater to affluent travelers seeking unique experiences. - **Fashion and Apparel:** Fashion and apparel brands have an opportunity to integrate technology into their products, offering consumers innovative and stylish items that enhance their everyday lives. - **Non-profit Organizations:** Non-profit organizations can engage in strategic collaborations with brands to create limited edition products that not only raise funds for social causes but also create awareness and drive brand loyalty. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Artist-Designed Airline Loungewear](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/lufthansa-allegris-first-class-loungewear.md) - [Airline Merchandise Capsules](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/virgin-atlantic-1.md) - [First-Class Airline Suites](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/la-premire-suites.md) - [Premium Amenity Kit Collections](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/saudia-airlines-and-elie-saab.md) - [Ultra-Cushioned Crystal-Covered Sneakers](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/nike-vomero-plus.md) - [Luxurious Airline Amenity Kits](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/etihad-airways-1.md) - [Stylish Airport Lounges](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/the-clubhouse.md) - [Airline Amenity Add-Ons](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/etihad-airways-2.md) - [Capacious Airline Seats](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/capacious-airline-seats.md)