David Banner Teams Up With Ewing Athletics On a Sneaker to Celebrate Black Pride, Ownership
Samantha Peters
Senior Shopping & Fashion Editor
Grammy Award-winning artist and music producer David Banner has collaborated with Ewing Athletics on a sneaker with a cause.
The sneaker, in a high-top silhouette, is meant to celebrate African American culture and empower young black creatives. Done in red, black, yellow and green, the shoe is inspired by the colors of the Pan-African flag, which was designed in 1920 by political activist and journalist Marcus Garvey to represent the people of the African diaspora. The sneaker also features the “black fist” icon on its tongue, a symbol of black nationalism famously popularized by the Black Panther Party in the 1960s.
“We create so many styles — most of the things popular on Earth come from young Black people,” said Banner in a press release. “Now we need ownership and to guide where it goes; we create what’s popping, so it’s time for our community to benefit.”
The symbolic sneaker collaboration boasts tumbled leather cross straps, a speckled midsole and gum outsole. It will drop exclusively at EwingAthletics.com on Jan. 31 and retail for $140.
Rising to popularity as a rapper in the late 1990s and early 2000s, Banner is also known for his philanthropy and as a vocal activist for African Americans. In 2016, he held the first “The God Box” lecture series in Birmingham, Alabama, which brought together a delegation of African Americans to encourage critical thinking among the demographic, particularly within hip-hop culture; the first lecture was held on the 4th anniversary of Trayvon Martin’s racially polarizing murder. Banner also frequently uses his social media platforms to promote rallies and events that support causes like prison reform, and he continues to host educational lectures for entrepreneurs on career advancement.
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