For those of you who believe that sports and fashion go hand in hand, Gola has teamed up with Christian Lacroix to develop a line of haute couture sneakers, embossed and embroidered with a small French fashion house feel. You know what they say: fashion makes strange bedfellows -- wait, that's politics. Anyway, the collection hit shelves this week in the US and will be available exclusively at Lacroix's boutique stores in New York and Las Vegas.

Though we're not completely sure, we're guessing that this is the first time the iconic British sportswear brand has attempted a high fashion sneaker -- possibly because the whole concept just seems wildly esoteric. However, if you team up with a French haute couture designer, esoteric ideas are exactly what you should expect. We think Lacroix delivered.

The collection -- marked by bold color choices and intricately embroidered patterns -- hardly resembles the retro soccer styles we're used to seeing from Gola. No doubt, these funky sneakers make a decidedly unique statement for the wearer -- we don't mean that in a bad way. Check out Lacroix's enlightened theory on sneaker culture:

"In a way, trainers are to the 21st century what shimmering ties and multicoloured vests were to the dandies of the 19th century - a distinctive sign, a personal signature. That is the perspective from which I prefer to view fashion, rather than that of uniformity. Given carte blanche by Gola, I took the opportunity, with much gratitude, to bring the modernity of a contemporary and popular brand together with the timeless baroque of an iconic design of our Couture House: the embroideries of a torero cape."

Retail prices for this collection range from $250-$310 -- pretty affordable when you compare them to Kanye's LV sneaks. Check out some of the regular Gola kicks below.