Big Sean wrapped up a busy fall by signing with Roc Nation Management, dropping a handful of new singles and announcing his latest signature sneaker for adidas Orginals—the Metro Attitude.
That got us to thinking. Rappers with signature kicks are slowly joining the ranks of pro athletes with their own custom shoes. Here’s a rundown of rappers with their own line of shoes.
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After cutting ties with Nike in 2013, Kanye West and adidas cemented a partnership for West’s Yeezy III. A high precedent has been set, as West had sneaker heads eager to line and up drop top dollar for his first two editions.
photo: WENN
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The adidas Top Ten has been around for a while and in a few different variations. But 2 Chainz was granted a commemorative 2 Good to be T.R.U. model of the Top Ten in celebration of launching his first headlining tour also named 2 Good to be T.R.U.
photo: WENN
When 50 Cent was at his multiplatinum peak, it was G-Unit everything…including the shoes. Reebok partnered with 50 Cent for his G-Unit shoe for a run in the early aughts, and according to 50, he made over $80 million from the deal.
According to a CNN Money report, Jay Z’s S. Carter Collection collaboration with Reebok sold 10,000 pair in just a few hours after hitting stores in November of 2003.
photo: WENN
Believe it or not, it’s been 10 years since Birdman first joined forces with Lugz for his own line of shoes. If you’ve been paying attention to his social media accounts, you’ve probably observed that Birdman isn’t letting anyone forget it’s time to re-up.
Master P was an early adopter with custom shoes, as he inked an exclusive deal with Converse in 1999. Roughly a year after a brief stint in the Continental Basketball Association, Master P’s All Star MP was promoted with TV spots featuring the No Limit Records founder playing basketball in different venues.
photo: WENN
After years of endorsing and dying Clark’s Wallabee shoes all kinds of colors, the Wu-Tang Clan released their own brand of footwear, which closely resembled the Clark’s casual upper. Things went in a decidedly different direction when streetwear brand HUF created a high-top sport boot to celebrate the Clan’s twentieth anniversary.
photo: WENN
In 2013, Reebok showed renewed interest in Hip-Hop with advertisements featuring Tyga, Rick Ross, and Swizz Beatz. Tyga’s deal called for a signature line of his T-Raww kicks.
After an ugly split from G-Unit, there was no way Game would be caught in the crew’s signature kicks. He kept it West Coast and landed a deal with 310 Motoring Company for his own Hurricane model.
photo: WENN
If exclusive shoe lines were the NBA, Big Sean would be adidas’ first round draft pick. The shoe giant scooped up Big Sean in both 2012 and 2013 for a customized version of their Pro Model shoe called the Detroit Player.
