BEATS + SNEAKS
Sneaker Collabs ft. J Cole, Billie, Kayne +
Apparel and music have always gone hand-in-hand. From the vibrant colored threads donned by Prince, to the iconic fitted cap/basketball jersey style patented by Jay Z, artists have always trailblazed new ways to stand out.
With sneaker brands becoming more prominent over the past 40 years, footwear has quickly become the staple of many artists. 80’s rap group Run DMC was known for, beyond the iconic tracksuits, their Adidas kicks.
Today, we have a host of artists not only donning iconic brands but creating their shoes and brands, taking after the many athletes who have capitalized off of their superstardom.
Many of the artists have entered the fray with the aforementioned three-striped brand. Pharrell Williams, Donald Glover, even Beyoncé herself have collaborated with the famed sneaker brand. In March, it was announced that Bad Bunny was the next artist in line for an Adidas collaboration.
The list goes on and one in the land of the 3 stripes.
Remember when “Yeezy jumped over the Jumpman?” Well, while it isn’t wholly accurate, the legend has some legitimacy to that claim. In April, West broke Michael Jordan’s auction record with a pair of BAPES in which the rapper used in a 2008 performance. The recorded worth? $1.8 billion, compared to MJ’s prior record for the original Air Jordans that went for $560,000 just last year.
To even measure up with the basketball brand given its lack of tenure is a testament to the artist now aligned with Adidas.
In retrospect, it is a feat destined for the multitalented West, who had a lengthy experience in art design even before his hip hop fame.
But there are even more stars that have a hand in some sneaker deals in different brands. Puma has had some heavy hitters such as Big Sean and J Cole.
Kendrick Lamar had his name aligned with the Nike brand, along with Travis Scott, who had also collaborated with the Jordan Brand.
Chances are more will come into the picture as time and fashion go on. Whether it be from the hip hop world, pop, and rock, and more. We will see more new digs coming soon.
