Silicon Valley's ultimate status symbol is the sneaker — here are the rare, expensive, and goofy sneakers worn by the top tech CEOs

Satya Nadella shoes

The inhabitants of Silicon Valley are not exactly known for haute couture.

It's a land where jeans, T-shirts, and hoodies reign supreme, and where sneakers are the footwear of choice.

But don't let the pedestrian fashion item fool you. These sneakers can be as rare and as status-defining as the fine watches adorning the wrists of Wall Street bankers or the designer handbags clutched by elite art dealers.

For many of the Valley's technorati, the right pair of kicks is a trademark accessory carefully selected to convey a mix of power and nonchalance, creativity and exclusivity.

With help from the team at the sneaker marketplace Flight Club, Business Insider compiled some of the most fashionable, expensive, and downright wild sneakers worn by tech founders and CEOs. The Flight Club team helped confirm the brands and styles and provided expert commentary and analysis.

We did our best to find photos of female tech executives wearing sneakers, but our search didn't yield many results. Women like Sheryl Sandberg and Marissa Mayer wore low heels, flats, or loafers, which says something about how much freedom women have to dress down in the corporate world.

If you dream of becoming the next Mark Zuckerberg, lacing up a pair of these sneakers probably won't get you very far. But at least you'll look the part.

Check it out:

Mark Zuckerberg: Nike Flyknit Lunar 3 in Wolf Grey

Since Nike's Flyknit franchise was introduced in 2012, Flight Club says it has seen resale values in "the hundreds, and some well over a thousand."

The Wolf Grey sneakers favored by Zuckerberg, Facebook's CEO, aren't currently sold in stores, but you can find them on eBay.

Price: $150

Satya Nadella: Lanvin Suede & Patent Leather Low-Top Sneaker

When the Microsoft CEO took the helm in 2014, it quickly became clear he was stylish. So it's no surprise he opts for a more fashion-forward take on sneakers, with a pair from the French high-end brand Lanvin. Even sneaker lovers on Reddit have inquired about Nadella's kicks.

Price: $495

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