What Shoes Were Artists and Athletes Wearing for the Paris Olympics Closing Ceremony and L.A. Handoff? Billie Eilish, Léon Marchand and More Standout Footwear Moments
All products and services featured are independently chosen by editors. However, Footwear News may receive a commission on orders placed through its retail links, and the retailer may receive certain auditable data for accounting purposes.
After two weeks of non-stop excitement showcasing the talent of the world’s top athletes, the 2024 Paris Olympics have come to a bittersweet end. Much like the opening ceremony that commenced the games, the closing ceremony on Aug. 11 delivered awe-inspiring spectacles including acrobatics and musical performances.
From outfits worn on stage to those worn in the air, see the range of footwear at the closing ceremony in Paris and the handoff celebration in California, where American artists hyped up audiences for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Four-time gold medalist Léon Marchand, the star swimmer of Team France, was selected to carry the flame during the closing ceremony. He looked polished in a classic black and white suite paired with black leather loafers from Louis Vuitton, which were emblazoned with the interlocking LV logo on the upper.
Back in the United States, Billie Eilish celebrated her native Los Angeles and its upcoming moment in the spotlight by singing “Birds of a Feather” with her brother Finneas by her side. The siblings were decked out in Ralph Lauren, which designed the official Team USA outfit this year; Eilish paired her oversized polo with dark chunky Nike Air sneakers, which were worn with argyle-patterned ankle socks.
Watch on FN
As part of the handoff between Paris and Los Angeles, Tom Cruise made a dramatic aerial entrance à la “Mission Impossible,” surprising audiences as he stepped off the top of the stadium and descended to the ground in true Hollywood style. Channeling Ethan Hunt, Cruise wore a practical yet cool outfit including a white shirt, khaki colored pants, brown leather jacket and sturdy brown boots.
Who better to help pass the torch to Los Angeles than Long Beach’s own Snoop Dogg, who was a star of the 2024 Olympics in his own right. To perform some of his hits at the beach, the rapper was dressed in a patriotic Olympics-themed outfit featuring white sneakers from Skechers, with whom he has a partnership.
Also included in the official Olympic flag handoff, Simone Biles wore a chunky white sneaker with a white skirt and dark top while Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass paired black slingback pumps with a fitted red dress.
French musician Zaho de Sagazan showed off the timeless fashion of France for a performance of “Sous le ciel de Paris,” wearing a black dress with a white layer included in its flowing skirt. She paired the dress with a pair of black patent leather Oxfords featuring a block heel.
