This fall, several of your favorite rappers have released name-branded sneakers. Pitchfork associate editor Corban Goble and Pitchfork contributor Wesley Case run down your best bets for the fall and winter seasons, including a rumored sneaker from the Kanye West's new Adidas line, Pharrell Williams' reinterpretation of a classic and more.
Kanye West: Yeezi by Adidas, $TBD
CG: Late last year, Kanye West left his partnership with Nike over royalties, inked a big deal with Adidas and effectively left one of this century’s most iconic sneakers, the Yeezy, far behind him. Since then, a rumored leak of a design surfacted, depicting what I think are shuffleboard shoes. Now, a new image that has Kanye checking out a prototype on a plane has fueled speculation that these nubuck hi-tops are part of his Adidas launch, which are slated for a December release. My theory is that Kanye is leaking these as a heatcheck, and when people make fun of them for looking like a suede armadillo he still has plenty of time to go back to the drawing board. (Kanye’s camp was quick to dispel that the loafers were a thing, which, thank God). Wesley, what do you think of these, especially in comparison to the orgasm-inducing Yeezy 2’s?
Photo via Flight Club
WC: The Yeezy 2 Red Octobers set an incredibly high bar for West’s ongoing foray into footwear, and even their predecessor indicated that Kanye would bring his notoriously high-level taste to Nike. With that said… what the hell is going on with these (alleged) Yeezis? I fully expected Ye to bring a haute sensibility to Adidas—a company I consider classic but bland as a whole, Jeremy Scott-collaborations notwithstanding—but these shoes look clunky and too busy. To be fair, it’s a grainy cellphone shot that can’t begin to pick up the surely agonized-over details, but just the towering silhouette turns me off. The neutral color fits the minimal, A.P.C.-influenced look Kanye rocks regularly these days, but to answer your question, this photo certainly doesn’t inspire me to stand in line for a few hours to cop a pair.
GRADE: C-
Pharrell Williams: Stan Smith by Adidas, $120
CG: As part of Pharrell Williams Branding Partnership Number 3274, he seemingly got on a conference call and tossed out an idea to fuck up a classic sneaker that never needed to be touched in the first place. (After the call was over, Pharrell was handed two huge burlap sacks with “$$$” printed on them). While I suppose the notion of dipping Stan Smiths in color is solid, in theory, somehow the reality of this enterprise is a wash. Though you could definitely say that these Pharrell Stans are reminiscent of early-2000s Ice Creams, these look like something Chris Martin designed. For toddlers.
WC: If you thought Pharrell phoned it in for “Blurred Lines”, well … here are his Stan Smiths. The beauty of Adidas’ arguably most beloved model is its timeless simplicity. The “design” reflects the fact Pharrell understands and respects the shoe’s legacy, but it also comes off as an unnecessary collaboration as “Happy” remains lodged in consumers’ brains. Bottom line is the Stan Smith never needed a remix; I’m not mad about the track jacket, though.
GRADE: C
Big Sean: Metro Attitude Hi, $165
CG: I have a soft spot for Big Sean’s sincerity so I’m going to go ahead and say I like these, even if I don’t really get why they’re speckled with the Hawaiian flowers but the inner sole reads “DREAMS STOPPED BEING DREAMS WHEN THEY TURNED INTO GOALS”, which, YOU DO YOU, BIG SEAN. I guess the cute/easy thing would be to say I DON’T FUCK WITH SHOOOOOEEEEEESSS but I think these are totally alright.
WC: Let’s deduct a couple point off top for printing 47 characters -- no matter how, ahem, inspirational—on a shoe. Also, am I missing the connection with the flowers, or am I overthinking here? Did Big Sean meet Ariana Grande in Hawaii? The shoe is unapologetically loud like Sean’s rapping is unapologetically derivative so at least it’s a fit. These would look at home in a Zumiez.
GRADE: B-
Drake: OVO Custom Jordan 12's, $$$$$$ on eBay
CG: Somewhat cheating since this isn’t a wide release, but they’re available, to a degree! I think this is a less of a “Drake” thing and more of a “common sense” thing, but murdering out 12’s is possibly the strongest concept of all time. Lots of gold OVO accents but they don’t go overboard. These are icy, Wesley, icy.
WC: Remember when Drake was one of the worst dressers in hip-hop? Just like his music, Drake’s taste in fashion has noticably improved with each album cycle. Although it’s a bit of hedgebetting, Drake looks smart not trying to start from scratch with a sneaker. Who could actually hate on the 12’s, one of the sleekest Jordans of all time and the shoes MJ wore when he won his fifth ring? But just like the Yeezys and Yeezy 2’s, these are gorgeous sneakers you would want to wear even if you had no idea about OVO. The details, like utilizing the Stringray material, are tasteful and true to the Jordan brand. I guess we might as well face it: Drake’s taste is Teflon, and it extends to his feet now.
GRADE: A-