From language and rhythm to art, technology and politics, hip-hop’s influence on pop culture has been — and continues to be — enormous. In many ways, hip-hop culture is American culture, an aesthetic that has been exported worldwide in the five decades since DJ Kool Herc held his first hip-hop party at 1520 Sedgwick Ave. in the Bronx on Aug. 11, 1973.
Its power is perhaps most visible through fashion, where the personal styles of hip-hop’s biggest emcees have helped to shape fashion choices from all walks of life, from the mass market to the hallowed couture houses of Paris.
Through footwear, more specifically, hip-hop has found an outlet of artistic cultivation, connoisseurship and creative collaboration. The result is a shoe (the ubiquitous sneaker — but also the boot, the heel or Cardi B’s infamous “bloody shoes”) that serves as an objet d’art, a status symbol or part of a daily uniform. Sometimes, it’s all three.
Over the past 50 years, many hip-hop artists have had an outsized influence on fashion and footwear (including cover stars Fat Joe and Remy Ma).
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Below is a list of 50 power figures — unranked — that have been curated with help from a special advisory council including June Ambrose, Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo, Terrell Jones, Set Free Richardson, Dante Ross, Lenny Santiago and April Walker. Qualifications for list entries include: artists with major shoe deals or collaborations; artists whose music/lyrics directly referenced or influenced footwear and fashion; artists who are major collectors; and artists whose personal styles, shoe choices or proximity to fashion and footwear have influenced hip hop and pop cultures at large.
Reading through the list, you might notice a bold-faced name conspicuously missing: Kanye West. While the music artist has unquestionably had a massive influence on footwear and fashion (and could easily sit atop this list), a celebration of West amidst ongoing fallout from various hate speech incidents (including his Paris Fashion Week showing last fall) feels inappropriate for the time being. Whether the multi-hyphenate will be able to redeem himself in the eyes of the public remains to be seen.
Run-D.M.C.
“I was 12 or 13 at Madison Square Garden when Run-D.M.C. performed. Run took off his Adidas sneaker, held it in the air and 15,000 or 16,000 people also held their Adidas in the air. I promise you, probably 90 percent of the people in that place had on Adidas. At the time being young, I could only afford so many pairs. Adidas, back then, was a mandatory thing. This let us know what was possible, like, you can be a non-athlete and be cool, have great talent in music, know how to shift culture and get a sneaker deal. That was a big deal to me. Run-D.M.C. had two or three staple outfits. The denim suit with the Lee jeans and denim jacket, fedora hat and Adidas [Superstars]. If it was a tracksuit, it was Adidas. The Adidas [Superstar] was the foundation, their preferred footwear choice with laces, without laces. How could you make a sneaker popular without even putting the laces in them?”— Lenny Santiago, SVP, Roc Nation, on Run-D.M.C.’s lasting influence on footwear and fashion, starting with Adidas Superstar sneaker.
Pharrell Williams
“Pharrell Williams is the most influential hip-hop artist to ever involve himself in footwear, fashion, lifestyle, culture. The reason he’s unmatched is the impact he’s had across every sector of lifestyle culture. He started with an apparel brand, then a footwear deal, then his own brand of footwear, then collaborating with footwear brands like Adidas, then being the creative director of a fashion house like Louis Vuitton. His staple footwear moment would be introducing Bape and Japanese luxury to the sneaker market. At the time he had his deal with Rbk [Reebok’s sportswear brand], he was visionary enough to bring in other creatives. This is something that footwear companies weren’t doing at the time. They had a bunch of brand ambassadors, including Jay-Z and 50 Cent, but Pharrell was the only one who had the foresight to bring in a creative director outside of his realm, Nigo, and this is where the Ice Cream sneaker came from. That was so far ahead of its time. That led to Bapes becoming the most sought-after thing in streetwear culture footwear-wise from 2005 to 2010. It’s been an avalanche from there.”— Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo, CEO, The Vandal Group
Missy Elliott
“Everything Missy wore had to be tied back to a sneaker. When I first started working with her, it was all about finding the most nostalgic footwear pieces. I remember using the Puma California sneaker in the music video for ‘The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly).’ Missy is a collector of sneakers, so at the time, to find something that was super retro but edgy and new and fresh — because we were bringing it back — became a classic again. It was that one scene where she is on the hill, in this customized leather jogging suit that I designed for her. It was mint green with the matching California sneakers to go with it. And I remember after that video people started saying ‘Ooh! That retro California Puma! I’m going to bring those back.’ That’s how things worked in hip-hop culture. We would feed off each other. It became sport, to find what was not being used and reimagine it.” —June Ambrose, Costume Designer & Creative Director, Women’s Hoops, Puma
Slick Rick
“Rick intercepted the sneaker world. Back in the day, [his record label home] Def Jam was on fire and that’s when sneaker culture was just starting. Everybody’s wearing Nike, Adidas, Lotto, Le Coq Sportif, Spot Bilt — so many brands. Rick came with the Clarks Wallabee. This guy is from the U.K. and he had a fly style. I was like, ‘What shoes are those?’ If you wanted a break from the sneaker world, Wallys became the go-to. Back in the day, we had Vasque boots, there was Hi-Tec and Timberland, but there weren’t too many shoes. You either wanted sneakers or to be rugged and raw in a boot. But Wallys were this half-sneaker feel, half-boot feel. And to see Rick with them and the chains and the furs, I was like, ‘I need to get those into my repertoire.’”— Set Free Richardson, creative director, The Compound
Travis Scott
“He’s so passionate about music, about production, about artistry, and that bleeds onto everything else. That transfers into the Nike/Jordan deal. What an impact that was, turning the check around [reversing the brand’s swoosh logo]. Such a simple thing that was explosive. Once you do something that’s so innovative, that’s so dope, that’s so creative, that lasts so long and you can do 100 colorways. Whether he’s doing an Air Force 1 or Air Max or a Jordan, he always cracks it, he never misses. Doing things like Christian Dior collabs, everybody can’t pull these things off. He has a big influence on the culture and on footwear in general. I see a Travis sneaker every day, at least. That check turned around was one of the most simple but innovative things somebody has done to a sneaker.”— Lenny Santiago
Cardi B
“She reminded the culture that being innovative matters. She was so New York and so hip-hop in that sense where she wasn’t trying to be in the same stuff that anyone was wearing. You can’t say Cardi and fashion without mentioning Kollin Carter, who is a visionary behind her style, then and now. They would find these designers, find these tailors and help them to get big breaks in their careers. It’s about the custom looks, even down to the shoes. When she did her Reebok deal, I remember taking photos of her at Summer Jam in 2019 and she had the bedazzled yellow Reeboks. That’s just one example of the kind of custom, unique, authentic energy that she’s always put out.”—Flo Ngala, photographer
DJ Clark Kent
“His passion for kicks culture has always been authentic. Clark Kent is from the early days, and he’s had such staying power. He’s been a tastemaker when it comes to kicks. His passion for sneakers has always been consistent, his voice has always been consistent, and you feel his authenticity. That energy creates confirmation in the culture, in the kick game. He has served and consulted companies, and if you look at his social media game, we can all see how passionate he is and lends his voice to what he believes in for sneakers. That authenticity will always be the staying power. And the Air Force 1, it has just stood the test of time, and I give Clark credit for amplifying it. There are so many people who wear Air Force 1s, but Clark, it’s part of his uniform.”— April Walker, founder, Walker Wear
Pusha T
“For anybody paying attention to lyrics, Pusha T was the Pablo Picasso of name-dropping brands. He was saying Lanvin before people knew what Lanvin was. Bottega, Loewe, Bode — the brands that are relevant now — Pusha was the first rapping about them. But it’s not just about name dropping. When you hear a Pusha record, you understand the entire lifestyle. He’s walking and debuting music at a Louis Vuitton fashion show. You don’t see rappers doing that. He’s had an Adidas contract for eight years, dropped six shoes, styled maybe nine silhouettes, is about to drop another division, had a strong hand in developing and pushing the Yeezy and the Humanrace brands. He’s consistently set silhouettes up for Adidas. If you look back at the EQT series, Pusha brought that back. There was not a cross-training lifestyle sector for Adidas at that time. When he dropped the first EQT, white Italian cracked leather on a luxe leather-wrapped vamp, waxed laces and the Pyrex packaging, the shoe sold out instantly and went for double on the resale market. A lot of artists have footwear deals and they keep it pushing after a season or two. Pusha has been with Adidas for eight years.” — Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo
Mary J. Blige
“The ‘Queen of Hip-Hop Soul,’ Mary J. Blige, is also the queen of high boots. Mary reigns when it comes to rocking the best designer boots created. Mary’s impact both on and off the stage is unmatched as she’s been a huge influence for many other celebrities and fans worldwide. One of my favorite Mary boot moments was her 2022 Super Bowl performance, when she rocked a custom over-the-knee boot by Dundas as only Mary could, jumping up and down with ease as if it had the comfort of a classic [Nike] Air Max 95. That was enough to inspire every woman watching that. Women are superheroes.” — Terrell Jones, stylist
Busta Rhymes
“When I was working on the music video ‘Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See,’ I custom designed every piece he wore, including the footwear. I did this custom lamé robe, and I had this idea to do a customized matching shoe, like any proper woman would do. I was really playing with gender fluidity and I loved the idea that we were re-designing something that was so eccentric with something that was so tough. When you thought about what was the toughest shoe you could wear at that time on the streets, it was the Timberland [boot]. I brought the shoe to a cobbler and said, ‘I need you to take these boots apart and cover them in this lamé fabric.’ As we came back with more pairs, the price went up because he realized that this was something that was going to catch on. We really opened a can of worms. After that video, Busta would not go on stage without the matching Timberlands to every customized look. It was disruptive and sexy and provocative and very hip-hop.” — June Ambrose
Queen Latifah
“Latifah, she looked like a million bucks. She has a Colgate smile and then some. It all comes from that, really. She can light up a room. When I first met her, she had a bob cut, the big doorknocker earrings, an Afrocentric shirt, some shorts on, floppy socks with some K-Swiss. I was like, ‘Oh, she’s ill.’ She just had the ill style. It was very much the look at that moment in time, but the Afrocentric thing set it off a little bit more from just looking like Salt-N-Pepa. That was her own slant on it. But she always had style and she always embraced the Afrocentric thing early in her career. She was a high school basketball player and had a very basketball-related swag.” — Dante Ross, producer, A&R veteran
Bobbito Garcia
“Bobbito Garcia, aka Kool Bob Love, he brought that voice for what was cool and what was real. He was a big basketball head, he loved hip-hop, and that perfect storm lent his voice to the likes of Nike in a big way — and a lot of other brands wanted his input and paid attention. He’s been so passionate about footwear and so instrumental. You can see he understands it and he really knows the timeline. That’s one of the reasons he still is a big brand. He wrote the book ‘Where’d You Get Those?’ on the history of the sneaker culture. When we talk impact and the residual effects that the industry has reaped from his voice in terms of dollars, we must include Bobbito Garcia.” — April Walker
MC Lyte
“She had her own fly swag. She was rocking [Nike] Air Forces, I remember seeing her in Puma Suedes, [Nike] Air Maxes. She had her own style. She used to rock things that guys were rocking with a female twist. I don’t think she gets enough credit for style. In the ‘Paper Thin’ video, she was fly head-to-toe. She was always in the know when it came to gear, the bamboo earrings, she had the bob, the sweatsuits, she had the chains on. She had Clydes, and I remember her in all different flavors of Nikes and some Adidas. She was flavor to me, and I always remember her footwear was on point to match. Lyte was definitely one of the pioneers of women’s fashion in hip-hop.” — Set Free Richardson
Fat Joe
“Fat Joe has been one of the leaders in the [Nike] Air Force 1 movement. He championed the Air Force 1. Joe is the reason I fell in love with ‘Linen,’ the pink and tan pair. And congrats to him, he got his own ‘Terror Squad’ Air Force 1, which was rightly deserved. Even in his stores, there’s a heavy Air Force 1 presence at Up NYC. It was a great accomplishment for Joe to get a store because it’s not easy. He has a couple stores now, which is amazing, and he launched it in the Bronx, where he’s from. Now, the kids in the Bronx don’t have to go to Manhattan and fight to get on line. They have a store in their own backyard to be able to get all the flavor they want.” — Set Free Richardson
DJ Khaled
With a collection worth a reported $8 million, the DJ and producer has one of the most famous shoe closets of all time — even more so after he offered it up as an Airbnb for two lucky fans (at only $11 a night, to boot). The stunt was part of Khaled’s new “We the Best” Air Jordan 5 collection. It launched late last year, but the artist has been working with the brand since 2007, when colleague Fat Joe introduced him to Reggie Saunders, VP of entertainment marketing at Jordan Brand. Since their first encounter, Saunders told FN he’s been inspired by everything that Khaled represents.
Fabolous
“Fabolous, for New York, was our media darling. That matching aesthetic that New York is well known for, where we match every single color of detail back to our shoe? Fabolous was the reigning champ of that. He was the godfather of ‘early release’ culture. At a time when getting Jordans ahead of release was a mystical power, he made his videos go viral pre-social media by wearing a colorway nobody knew was releasing — and he would have it a good eight months ahead.” — Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo
Diddy
“’Mo’ Money Mo’ Problems’ was one of my favorite videos to design. At the time, Black music and video was only being played on BET, and our goal was to get MTV and VH1 to play the music. The only way we could do that was to create imagery that was provocative and commercial and felt like us. I think [Diddy] recognized how important it was for us to not be so predictable, that it was going to take some fearlessness. Hip-hop at the time was dark, edgy, it was very specific. And there was no social media then, so there was no point of reference. There were no trolls or peanut gallery to say ‘this is good’ or ‘this is bad,’ you just went for it. You followed your creative instinct, and I knew at the time that it was worth fighting for. But I had to meet them halfway. The sock was a Nike Air — I called it the sock, the Nike Air — certain footwear pieces were Bible. This is the foundation. It said Harlem, it said street, it was the space boot of the future. Every artist from every borough related to this sneaker. — June Ambrose
Wale
“Wale is the most underrated and impactful. He was a pop rapper first because his first big single was with Lady Gaga, doing Billboard covers wearing early-color [Nike] Foamposites with Gucci jackets and things like that. This was in the early blog era of hip-hop, where rappers were developing a freedom to be themselves, to make their own look. By the time he was signed, he already had 2,000 pairs of sneakers. People were looking at what Wale was wearing in D.C. before his music was hitting. I also love how he’s been able to pull in other notable figures. For example, he did an album with Jerry Seinfeld. Jerry is an avid sneaker guy and there’s a weird synergy between [them].”— Mike “Upscale Vandal” Camargo
Lil’ Kim
“Louis Vuitton shoes and a whole lot of booze” is perhaps the tamest rhyme in the rap legend’s X-rated anthology of footwear and fashion mentions, and the 49-year-old artist has often backed up her lyrics with head-to-toe looks in Chanel, Fendi and Louis Vuitton — long before other celebs were gorging on the labels. From palling around with Marc Jacobs to her infamous moment at the 1999 MTV Video Music Awards in a one-breasted purple jumpsuit with matching pasty and platform sandals (and Diana Ross’s hand), Kim’s connections to fashion and influence on trends span almost as many decades as hip-hop’s. In the ‘90s, the artist’s boot collection was rivaled only by friend and colleague Mary J. Blige.
A Tribe Called Quest
The group, led by Q-Tip and the late Phife Dawg on the mic — with occasional appearances by Jarobi — have always shared their love of sneakers with fans. As for Q-Tip, the emcee has been spotted in some gems over the years, including the Nike Air Foamposite Pro sneakers at the New York stop for the Rock the Bells festival in 2010, the Supreme x Nike Dunk High Pro SB at the 2007 VH1 Hip-Hop Honors and various Timberland styles and lug-sole combat boots over the years. With Phife — who in 1992 proclaimed to “sport New Balance sneakers to avoid a narrow path” on “Buggin’ Out” — he earned his position early as one of rap’s most beloved sneakerheads. Phife, whose favorite sneakers included the Adidas Forum Mid, New Balance 574 and the Nike Air Max 90, was quick to drop bars with references only sneakerheads with a discerning ear could catch (“You couldn’t Converse if you had f–king React Juice”). After his passing in 2016, Vans and A Tribe Called Quest released a collection of footwear in 2018 (including one featuring his lyrics from “Check the Rhime” on the upper).
Nicki Minaj
Barbiecore may be trending, but Nicki Minaj has arguably built her entire stage persona around the doll from the very beginning. Her 2010 debut album “Pink Friday” depicted the rapper in a doll-like pose, pink hair and a pair of gigantic pink Pleaser platforms (more than a decade before Valentino’s) that lent themselves to the Barbie funhouse proportions of the shot (whoa, legs!). Minaj consistently raps about luxury brands (the usual Vuitton, Hermès, Dolce & Gabbana and Chanel, but loyal “Barbz” fans will remember a few key lines about Alexander McQueen and Balmain in “Anaconda”). A footwear drama ensued on social media in 2017, when the rapper accused Giuseppe Zanotti of naming a pair of heels after her but refusing to partner with her — or take her calls. Minaj’s partnership with Crocs in 2021 caused the brand’s site to crash after the rapper posted a photo of herself on Instagram decked out in nothing but her Barbie-pink rubber clogs and sparkly Chanel jibbitz.
Drake
Drake and Jordan Brand delivered several notable collaborations during the rap star’s time as a collaborator, a partnership that dates back to 2013, including the Air Jordan 10 “White OVO” and the Air Jordan 8 “OVOs.” Then came his “Certified Lover Boy” merch, which was made in partnership with Nike and included the Air Force 1 “CLB.” Plus, in 2020, Nike announced its new sub-label with Drake, called Nocta. Since then, they have dropped a range of products, including jackets, vests and the Hot Step and Glide sneakers. Although Drake’s history is Swoosh-heavy, Adidas made a push to sign the rapper in 2018. Drake’s OVO imprint has also been featured on footwear from brands including Clarks Originals, Timberland and Bape.
Jay-Z
Jay-Z was named Puma Basketball’s creative director in 2018, but it was not his first foray into the world of sneakers. In 2003, the Brooklyn-born rap icon teamed up with Reebok to launch his S. Carter Collection by Rbk line. At the time, Jay-Z became the first non-athlete to score a signature shoe line from an athletic shoe company. His influence on sneakers has also included moments wearing Nike, including the classic Blaze magazine image in the Marcy Projects that he once called home, wearing the Air Force 1 Mid Jewel “NYC.” Also, his Air Force 1 “All Black Everything” sneaker went up for auction in 2010, with 100 percent of the proceeds benefiting the Shawn Carter Foundation’s Scholarship Fund.
Wu-Tang Clan
From his debut album, Ghostface Killah made his love of footwear known. The self-proclaimed “Wallabee Champ” appeared on the cover of his classic debut album “Ironman” in 1995 with countless pairs of his favorite Clarks Originals silhouette. Years later, the Wu-Tang Clan veteran would collaborate with sneakerhead favorite brands Asics (along with Extra Butter) and Ewing Athletics. As for fellow Wu-Tang member Raekwon, one of rap’s most beloved sneakerheads has delivered several Diadora collaborations, including multiple in partnership with Foot Locker and the “Purple Tape” N.9000 with boutique Packer Shoes in 2015, which was a nod to the color of the cassette for his debut album, “Only Built 4 Cuban Lynx.” In 2020, Packer and Raekwon would release the “Cuban Lynx” Diadora N.9000.
De La Soul
Some of the most beloved Nike SB Dunks of all time were done in collaboration with rap royalty. De La Soul’s arrived in 2005, consisting of a high-top sneaker and a low, adorned with graphics from the group’s classic “3 Feet High and Rising” album. Ten years later, Nike SB would release new De La Soul sneakers, this time switching the original high and low color palette.
Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five
Early album covers and group photos put the hip-hop pioneers in looks that placed them somewhere between the Village People and Earth Wind & Fire, with leather looks and studded boots that were more punk than anything else. But to provide true sartorial authenticity to the 2016 Netflix series “The Get Down,” Baz Luhrman and costume designer Jeriana San Juan tapped Grandmaster Flash to pinpoint the exact sneakers that he and his crew would have been wearing in the late ’70s: Puma Suedes, Converse and Pro-Keds, the last of which relaunched around the time of the show’s filming.
Salt-N-Pepa
The leather jackets, the Kente kufi hats, the rope jewelry. The personal style of members Cheryl James and Sandra Denton (plus DJ Spinderella, aka Diedre Roper) helped shape how a whole generation dressed in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s. Their kit also included Air Jordans (likely the women’s Court Force high-tops) and an array of coordinating custom looks that matched the textiles of garments to custom footwear. But Salt-N-Pepa’s biggest footwear contribution is the red leather boot, which they sported in their signature red, yellow and white group look, in a scrunchy flat style — though they also showed up on red carpets in pairs of totally ’80s red cowgirl boots.
Will Smith
Will Smith immortalized the Air Jordan 5 in the intro to “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” and all of its six seasons — but it didn’t come without approval from the man himself. Smith confirmed in a 2022 interview in the “All the Smoke” podcast that he had to beg Michael Jordan to let him wear the shoe in the series: “I was literally calling Jordan, I was like, ‘Mike, please just let me be the first person to wear them.’ He was like ‘Man, I don’t run that,’” Smith said. It was the Black/Metallic 5 style that Smith wore in the famous show intro, while the actor sported “Fire Red” 5s in the pilot episode. In 2013, Jordan Brand returned the favor by releasing Air Jordan 5 Bel-Air.
Nelly
“Give me two purrs.” While plenty of hip-hop artists have name-checked a shoe in their rhymes, Nelly went ahead with an entire song dedicated to Nike’s Air Force 1s. The lyrics detail preferences on different styles, from all-white high-top straps and gum soles to various sports team color ways. Top-tier sneakerheads may smirk at the song, but its pop success introduced the masses to the intricacies of collecting — and why exactly you should be buying two pairs at a time.
TLC
Following in the footsteps of Salt-N-Pepa, the Atlanta-bred trio of T-Boz, Left Eye and Chilli knew the power of a coordinating look — but also spoke the sartorial language of a younger audience in the Nickelodeon era. The group’s 1992 album “Ooooooohhh… On the TLC Tip” showed the trio bouncing around in sideways caps, oversized clothing, knee pads and Dr. Martens — a boy-meets-girl that would carry them through the mid-’90s until their “Crazy Sexy Cool” era brought about a sexy futuristic style that centered on bra tops and parachute pants — with men’s boxers peeking out the top.
LL Cool J
The rap pioneer’s ascent to hip-hop royalty runs perfectly parallel in history to the creation and rise of the Air Jordan. The rapper signed to Def Jam Recordings in 1984, and when he put out his first album “Radio” the following year, he sported a pair of Air Jordan 1s (in the banned color way) on the back of the record. He wore them again on the cover of “Bigger and Deffer, his sophomore follow up in 1987. “I wore the very first pair of Jordan’s on my very first album,” LL Cool J tweeted in 2018. “I’m talkin’ when Jordan was a rookie. I’m not hating on sneaker heads.”
Megan Thee Stallion
The rapper can and will rock a hip-hop boot just as hard as her peers, but most of Megan Thee Stallion’s shoe closet consists of a more glam, red-carpet-ready stiletto sandal, which she’ll pair with anything from thigh-slit gowns to mini dresses. The “Savage” artist nabbed the first-ever Depop celebrity partnership in 2020 for a collection that included said stilettos, plus a few assless chaps — all of which sold out immediately. In 2021, Nike jumped on Meg’s “Real Hot Girl”momentum by signing with the artist, focusing on fitness and performance. The deal continues through to 2024.
Beastie Boys
It would be easy to write off the Lower East Side trio’s penchant for Adidas when looking at their early friendship and shared tour run with Run-D.M.C. But a closer look at the personal styles of Mike “Mike D” Diamond, Adam “MCA” Yauch and Adam “Ad-Rock” Horovitz proves that the Beastie Boys cemented their own footwear legacy. Their mentors got them into Superstars, but it was the Adidas Campus that became the Beastie shoe through the years. In the early ’90s, Mike D helped to grow L.A. streetwear pioneer X-Large (just a few years prior to the opening of Supreme in New York). The shop’s main focus was t-shirts, but it also sold dead stock Adidas, Puma and Keds — long before StockX came around.
Migos
Since breaking through in 2013 with mixtape sleeper hit “Versace,” members Quavo, Offset and the late Takeoff have consistently been in the fashion conversation. In 2017, the group was tapped by retailer Champs Sports and Under Armour — a brand they have publicly stated they love — to create a video for the song “11 Birds,” which served as a tribute to NFL star Julio Jones. Also in 2017, Migos teamed up with Finish Line as creative directors for the retailer. Separately, all have been vocal about their love of sneaker culture. Quavo, for instance, has said he has a $3 million shoe collection, while Offset revealed more than 3,000 pairs of sneakers during a tour of his closet.
Lil Nas X
Lil Nas X is Crocs’ latest brand ambassador. The rapper currently stars in an accompanying campaign highlighting the label’s new Height Collection and is seen wearing a pair of heeled Clogs. It’s not his first time donning controversial shoes. His MSCHF custom Nike Air Max 97 “Satan Shoes” caused a stir in 2021, which resulted in a trademark infringement lawsuit from the athletic giant.
Tyler, the Creator
Although Tyler, the Creator is often spotted in loafers, the superstar rapper has permanently made his mark on footwear via collaborations. After delivering several acclaimed looks with Vans, he moved on to Converse. With Converse, he has both reimagined classics (like the One Star and the Chuck 70) and created a new silhouette with the brand, the Gianno, which was inspired by his love of BMX and trail hiking. What’s more, the rapper has also released several coveted sandals with Japanese label Suicoke.
Big Sean
Detroit rapper Big Sean has had multiple sneaker deals throughout his career, including a partnership with Adidas that kicked off in 2012. During his time with the brand, he dropped two iterations of the Pro Model 2 — “Detroit Player” and an all-black look — and delivered his take on the Metro Attitude Hi sneaker. In 2017, Big Sean then signed on with Puma, collaborating on the Suede and Clyde classics. Puma also sponsored the rapper’s “I Decided” Tour at the time.
Future
During his run with Reebok, rapper Future made his mark with his Reebok Furikaze sneaker. The shoe was a reinterpretation of the Reebok Kamikaze 2, a basketball shoe from 1995, mixed with another brand classic: the InstaPump Fury. Aside from his Reebok deal, which was announced in 2016, Future has turned heads with his footwear choices, like the time he wore MSCHF-custom Birkenstock sandals in 2021 that reportedly cost $36,000 and were made from an Hermès Birken bag. Future has also had many fashion references in his raps, including in his song with Drake, titled “Jumpman.”
Kid Cudi
Kid Cudi has had his fair share of sneaker collabs, most recently with the upcoming MSCHF SuperNormal 2 that will launch this year. The “Day ‘n’ Nite” rapper also worked with Giuseppe Zanotti on a one-off Velcro-strap style sneaker in 2015. His biggest partnership, however, was with Adidas, which produced multiple iterations of the Torsion Artillery Hi sneakers and the Vadawam 326.
Kendrick Lamar
Before his Nike deal, Kendrick Lamar worked with Reebok from 2014 to 2017, which included multiple collaborations on the Classic Leather and Club C models. Notably, Lamar was the face of its campaign for the classic Ventilator shoe, which served as the canvas for his final sneaker with Reebok, the “Red and Blue” collection, which was a call for gang neutrality. With Nike, Lamar released the memorable “Cortez Kenny” kicks, a reference to the rapper’s acclaimed album “Damn,” among others. Most recently, Lamar proclaimed “I’m the best-dressed moving forward” on “The Hillbillies” track with Baby Keem and wore the Adidas Samba in the corresponding video.
A$AP Rocky
It would be easy to point to A$AP Rocky’s shoe closet for proof of footwear cred. His rotation of Air Jordan 1s and 4s among a thoroughly avant-garde wardrobe (remember that Met Gala blanket?), plus a steady flow of Gucci boots, have kept him in the fashion flow (there was also a short-lived Under Armour deal.) It’s actually in the women’s shoe category that Rocky has cemented his footwear imprint. Working with Amina Muaddi (who has also previously partnered with the rapper’s better half for her Fenty label) Rocky’s AWGE creative label collaborated on a series of seriously sparkly crystal-encrusted wrap heels that continue to be a collector’s item for high-heel devotees.
J. Cole
In 2020, J. Cole signed a multiyear partnership with Puma. Through it came the RS-Dreamer, J. Cole’s debut signature basketball sneaker. Throughout the deal, the pair released multiple colorways, plus a second iteration of the Dreamer — the Puma Dreamer 2 — in “The White Jointz.” The rapper has also collaborated with luxury brand Bally, and most recently, his Dreamville Record label has teamed up with Crocs on a clog and sandal collab.
50 Cent
In the early 2000s, 50 Cent linked with Reebok to deliver the wildly popular G-Unit sneakers. The kicks were such a hit, Reebok CEO Todd Krinsky hinted they almost rivaled Air Jordans in terms of popularity. The exec told “The Complex Sneakers Podcast” in November 2022 that one colorway sold “almost as many pairs as the Jordan launch for that period.” As part of a five-year partnership that was announced in 2003, 50 Cent dropped sneakers including the G-Unit G-6, the GXT cross-trainer sneaker and the G-Unit boot. The rapper claimed to have made $80 million off of the deal.
Jadakiss
The Yonkers, N.Y. emcee recently hit the stage in a quintessential Big Apple outfit: camo shorts paired with a pair of unlaced wheat Timberland 6-inch boots. But his footwear bonafides began much earlier in his rap career. Most notably, he rapped alongside NBA icon Allen Iverson in the commercials promoting the baller’s Reebok Answer 4 and Answer 5 signature shoes. And in 2016, the athletic label tapped Jadakiss to collaborate on Iverson’s first-ever look, the Question.
Mac Miller
The late Mac Miller was an avid sneaker lover, most telling from his breakout mixtape “K.I.D.S.” and the hit song “Nikes on My Feet.” In the video for the aforementioned song, he famously wore the Nike Blazer Mid “Selvedge Denim” sneakers. Before his untimely death in September 2018, the rapper often performed in coveted sneaker releases, such as the Nike Air Foamposite One “Galaxy,” Nike Air Yeezy 1, Air Jordan 11 “Bred” and more.
Nipsey Hussle
Prior to his untimely death in March 2019, Nipsey Hussle announced he had signed an endorsement deal with Puma, a move greatly celebrated by longtime fans of one of hip-hop’s hardest-working artists. In the time since, the German sportswear giant has delivered several looks as part of its partnership with the Los Angeles rap icon, including new-look iterations of the RS-X, Ralph Sampson and Suede sneakers. The “Grinding All My Life” rapper was also quick to diffuse potential controversy when it comes to sneakers, calling out Reebok in 2018 for what he called an “unauthorized” shoe that featured nods to his All Money In record label, L.A. gang culture and more.
Rick Ross
Although Reebok terminated its deal with Rick Ross in 2013 over problematic lyrics, which he publicly apologized for, the rapper has gone on to work with several footwear brands in the years since. His efforts include collaborations with Ewing Athletics and Way of Wade, the Li-Ning-backed imprint of NBA icon Dwyane Wade. The Miami native is a fan of all shoes, including cowboy boots, and in April he wore a pair on Instagram at his Texas home while sipping on Deacon Whiskey, calling himself “Rodeo Rick.”
A$AP Ferg
After rapping “It’s about to get uglier than Balenciagas” in his 2019 song “Pups” (alongside fellow A$AP Mob member A$AP Rocky), the Harlem artist referenced neighborhood legend Dapper Dan. That’s not his first time paying homage to the designer, who served as inspiration for his 2015 Adidas Skateboarding collab on the AdiEase sneaker. For his second collab with the brand, he dropped the “Trap Lord” Matchcourt sneakers, which featured lyrics from “Hood Pope” on its laces.
Dipset
The three frontmen of Dipset — Cam’Ron, Jim Jones and Juelz Santana — hail from Harlem, but their influence on footwear has been felt worldwide. Juelz Santana has had a number of stellar footwear-focused moments, including starring in the campaign for the American flag-adorned Supreme x Timberland 6-inch boot collab. Jim Jones, one of rap’s most renowned sneakerheads, has consistently shown off his collection via social media and was tapped this year by retailer SNS and Adidas to reintroduce the classic Harlem silhouette. And Cam’Ron has delivered several collaborations with Reebok.
Funk Flex
The Hot 97 radio legend has long been tapped into sneaker culture. Aside from hosting several celebrity-driven sneaker battles and expos over the years, Funk Flex was early to the footwear endorsement game, signing with Lugz in the early aughts. He would release shoes of his own with the brand, including the Lugz FMF-1 driving shoe, a fitting style for the DJ, who is also an avid car enthusiast.
