Iconic Sneaker Collaborations by Hip Hop Artists
Ever since Run-DMC released the song “My Adidas” in 1986, the worlds of hip hop and footwear have been inextricably linked. Serenading the sportswear brand only furthered the growing culture of sneakerheads, who began to see footwear as pop-culture currency. In the rap world, especially, artists take their sneakers seriously. Many have even launched their own streetwear brands and collaborated with big footwear names to give fans new ways to express their love for their idols.
Below, we list three of the most iconic brand collaborations between hip hop artists and sneaker brands.
Yeezys and Adidas
Among the many collaborations by artists and sneaker brands, perhaps there’s none more iconic than Kanye West’s Yeezy’s. Even before his famous partnership with Adidas, Kanye West had already been making waves in the world of fashion. After the release of his first album, he collaborated with the Japanese fashion brand A Bathing Ape to create. Kanye West x Bapesta FS-001 Low ‘College Dropout.’ Since then, he’s designed for high-fashion brand Louis Vuitton, and later kickstarted his Yeezy line with Nike’s Air Yeezy.
Source: @yeezymafia on Instagram
West struck gold after partnering with Adidas and launching the Yeezy Boost 350, a shoe that would become coveted by everybody in the upper echelons of style society, from Instagram models to NBA athletes and Hollywood actors to musicians. And the empire is still going strong. As featured on SoleSavy, one of the biggest sneaker communities on the internet, the Yeezy has two new models up for release. The exoskeleton-shaped Yeezy 450 “Resin” drops next week, while the earth Yeezy Boost 700 MNVN “Wash Cream” is predicted to release in 2022.
Golf Wang and Adidas
Like Kanye West, 30-year-old artist Tyler the Creator has made a name for himself in the world of fashion. In 2011, at just 20 years old, Tyler the Creator established Golf Wang, a streetwear brand known for its striking colourful designs. Throughout the early 2010s, Golf Wang pursued a partnership with skateboarding brand Vans to create vibrant colourways for popular shoe models Old Skool and Sk8 Hi.
Source: @golfwang on Instagram
The partnership ended in 2016, with Tyler the Creator wanting to pursue newer, more freeing prospects. In 2016, Golf Wang launched Golf le Fleur, a footwear collaboration with Converse. Today, the collaboration is considered prolific. According to InputMag, a popular digital magazine focused on trends in tech, culture, and streetwear, Golf le Fleur’s most recent creation is the GOLF le FLEUR Converse Chuck 70. Launched just after Tyler the Creator’s new album Call Me If You Get Lost, the cream and pink sneaker is the brand’s first Chuck Taylor design in years.
Billionaire Boys Club and Adidas
Before there was Golf Wang or even Yeezys, there was Billionaire Boys Club, a streetwear brand established in 2003 by artist Pharrell Williams, in a partnership with A Bathing Ape creator Nigo. Throughout the mid-2000s, ICECREAM, a Billionaire Boys Club subsidiary, launched a series of sneakers, which were known for their bright colourways and unique graphics.
Source: @bbcicecream on Instagram
Just like Yeezy’s, Pharrell Williams has had a longstanding relationship with German sneaker brand Adidas. Williams has created designs for the brand’s most popular silhouettes, including Stan Smiths, Superstars, and NMDs. According to Yahoo News, Williams just recently unveiled the Pharrell x Adidas Humanrace Sichona, following the rising popularity of sock-like sneakers. Built with direct-inject casting, the shoe is designed to make wearers feel like they’re walking barefoot.
Though vaccine rollouts have helped the live music scene recover, it still helps to find other ways to support our favourite artists. Buying merch is starting to replace ticket sales. Rap fans have it easy. The worlds of fashion and hip hop are so intertwined that fans will find no shortage of quality designs from their favourite creators.
