Collaborations are a small but important part of the multibillion-dollar sneaker industry. Here, seven high-profile influencers discuss the collabs of a lifetime they envision, pairing their favorite celebrities, designers and retailers with popular brands.
Foamer Simpson
“I’d like to see Sean Wotherspoon do another Nike sneaker. He made the best sneaker of 2018 [the Air Max 1/97]. It’s only right he get another crack at it this year. He teased an insane pair of Air Max 1s a few months back — pink, blue, mustard, purple. They were tearaway corduroy, and underneath was a floral print. I’d love to see those come to life. They’d be marketed the same way they marketed the last one: original, organic, fun. They’d be sold in sneaker boutiques and the SNKRS app. I’d keep it pretty limited. I’d also like to design my own sneaker — my brother and I. [I envision] our brand Uncivilized doing a Reebok Answer 1. I’m speaking it into the universe.”
Retail price: $160
Dominic “The Shoe Surgeon” Ciambrone
“Louis Vuitton and Payless. They would look like a sleeker high-end, high-quality version of Payless sneaker models — specifically Velcro runners or grandpa shoes. Marketing would be a behind-the-scenes of the making of the shoes and showcase the quality that Louis produces. [To sell them], I’d turn a Payless into a shoemaker’s shop for Louis Vuitton.”
Retail price: $2,000
Francy Bernard
“I would like to see Teyana Taylor working with Nike. I feel like it’s something the sneaker community would definitely not expect and would appreciate. I can imagine her designing an Air Force 1 dedicated to her hometown of Harlem [N.Y.]. A leather silhouette inspired by the biker Vanson jacket executed in a color combination of black, red and gold. It would be marketed as her riding through her old neighborhood on a dirt bike to her local bodega to pick up a bottle of Martinelli’s apple juice. This drop would be exclusive to all of the hottest sneaker boutiques like 21 Mercer and Kith.”
Retail price: $120
Cid “The Kicks” Merisier
“A Barack Obama collab on the Puma Clyde Court. No. 44 fits this shoe like a glove because his demeanor, panache and poise fit with the relaxed shoe. It would incorporate his historical quotes, and they’d glow in the dark. I want this dream hybrid to be accessible to all. With each purchase, a portion would go to the prison reform rally [aimed at fixing] the broken U.S. criminal justice system. By purchasing these shoes, you’d have a chance to attend a future Obama conference and meet him face to face. Proceeds would go to climate and political injustice awareness. I’d go grassroots and do a pop-up shop and also take it back to the streets with promo trucks.”
Retail price: $120
Tamara Dhia
“Someone who has yet to officially step into the space that I’d love to see is Frank Ocean. He’s generally a Vans man, but there has been a long-standing rumor that he has something in the works with Nike. So bearing his aesthetic in mind, I’d love to see his take on the Nike SB Dunk Low. These would be marketed on social media and then drop in tandem with an album. We would first randomly see his famous friends rocking them in Instagram paparazzi shots: Tyler, the Creator skateboarding in them on Fairfax [in L.A.], Bella Hadid in a dope street-style fit running through the streets of NYC, Travis Scott teasing them on his Instagram story. This would definitely be one of those kicks that you wake up early to cop on the SNKRS app.”
Retail price: $120
Mache
“I feel like the time has come for me to have an official collaboration. As for a brand, it’s whoever vibes with me and my vision the most. I’ve seen Puma, Reebok and Adidas do some great projects over the past 365 [days]. I’d love to work with Nike or Jordan Brand — especially considering how the Kyrie and Westbrook lines have been pushing the envelope with creativity. It would definitely be my style: clean color blocking with subtle splashes of artistic chaos. Boutiques would push a Mache release best. When I see a Concepts, Politics, Kith, Packer or Bait — they pride themselves on helping carrying out the narrative and push the storytelling properly.”
Retail price: $120
Anna Bediones
“Aside from an atothebed x Jumpman collab — that I’m speaking it into existence — I would love to see Kristen Noel Crawley, founder of KNC Beauty, and Jordan Brand. It would be a luxe Air Jordan 1 — premium materials only, like satin. The Swoosh would be detachable [and] yellow with a little star on the tail like her eye mask. [And] it would have traces of her signature pink — maybe in the piping or stitching. It would be accompanied with apparel — like a really fire jumpsuit and bag. Packaging would be her signature pink with subtle traces of the lip logo. She’d seed them to her homies and other influential people — mostly, but not limited to, women. [They’d be sold in] Jordan flagship stores, Nordstrom and sneaker boutiques with dedicated retail activations, [but] not chain retailers or mall stores.”
Retail price: $250
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