cestc When it comes to sneakers, star partnerships are something of a mixed bag. Without wanting to as well heavily paraphrase a specific Tom Hanks-starring movie that hasn’t aged all as well well: stick your hand in as well as you never rather understand what you’re going to pull out. It is, not to prolong the cinematic line as well far, a situation of the good, the bad, as well as the ugly – the latter of which can extremely much apply to either. however how, exactly, do you choose which camp a partnership belongs to?
First as well as foremost, something that crops up time as well as time once again when it comes to partnerships with stars is the idea of effort – of care as well as attention. Of, not to be as well hokey about it, love. While what makes a attractive shoe is, apparently, subjective – all of us have different tastes, besides – it is a great deal easier, as well as a great deal more objectively obviously, to work out which partnerships are a labour of like as well as which link-ups are bit more than advertising vehicles.
That a star – be they an athlete, an artist, whatever – may not have all the time in the world to devote to sneaker style isn’t truly surprising. It’s likewise fair enough. most of us aren’t selling out stadiums as well as we still wouldn’t have the hours in a day to spend on the intricacies of a custom silhouette. however most of us, like most celebrities, would most likely state indeed anyway – talent, time, as well as even inclination be damned. Why not, basically.
This method of believing as well as working has, over time, played out in some quite shoddy partnerships – those which are either partnerships in name only or which have experienced from as well much input from their namesake as well as not sufficient time for the experts to find in as well as work out the kinks; a bit like that Simpsons episode where Homer styles a new cars and truck for his brother’s company. The only difference, of course, is that while no-one wished to drive “The Homer” – and, thus, no-one bought it as well as Herb Powell was ruined – sneaker partnerships tend to offer whether they’re great or not. Which is excellent for sneaker companies, however poor for considered, forward-thinking as well as innovative sneaker design.
Still: it’s not all doom as well as gloo, so let’s not dwell on The poor for as well long. They understand who they are as well as what they’ve done. And, while we’re not going to name names, I believe it’s fair to state they should be feeling more than a bit red-faced right now. Instead, let’s focus on The Good.
Case in point: Billie Eilish as well as her new Air Jordans.
While there has been some criticism – mainly coming from those usual corners of the Web that will always, somehow, discover a method to criticise a young lady in the public eye – about the truth that Eilish is, among other things, not an athlete as well as therefore not an appropriate ambassador for the Jordan Brand, these flimsy barbs are neatly balance out by her clear, authentic interest for the project.
Image via Billie Eilish
Speaking to the Nike SNKRS app’s “Behind the Designs” series, Eilish discusses her withstanding like for Jordan brand sneakers as well as her passion, in particular, for the Air Jordan 15 as well as Air Jordan 1 KO – both of which the brand have handed her to work with. The enjoyment Eilish gets from just speaking about these shoes, let alone from producing with them is palpable as well as infectious: you’d have to have a heart of stone not to feel such as this pairing just makes sense.
More than this, though, Eilish’s sneakers exist beyond the realm of star novelty: with 100% vegan building as well as over 20% recycled materials, they’re a testament not only to her personal beliefs as well as convictions, however likewise do the work of pushing the brand, as a whole, toward making positive change. few partnerships can insurance claim that. few collaborations, in fact, insurance claim anything at all: most exist just since they can, without any believed whatsoever to whether or not they should as well as what that may achieve.
Eilish’s innovative fingerprints, too, are around these sneakers: where the Air Jordan 15s are concerned, this is nothing ostentatious, just included where it counts in a cautious counterbalance of Jordan branding as well as Eilish signature aesthetics already complimented by the silhouette’s unusual, laidback construction. The Air Jordan 1, it’s fair to say, is a bit more in your deal with – by which I mean they’re bright eco-friendly as well as glow in the dark – however not in a method that feels forced. Again: it just makes sense.
Image via Nike
The key, really, to a perfect partnership is that it needs to be precisely that. Ego can’t get in the method of a silhouette’s tradition and, looking at it the other way, the history of a sneaker can’t overshadow the possibilities for new creativity. Realistically, the only method to make this occur is with dialogue: not just between brand as well as collaborator, however – personally – between the collaborator as well as the sneakers themselves. When Skepta released his Air Max 97 SK partnership with Nike in 2017, for example, it wasn’t without precedent: by that point, Skepta had spent years, decades even, forging a bond with the Air Max 97. No-one threw a pair at him, free from context, provided him a cheque as well as told him to just get on with it.
That’s why those sneakers work so well: they’re a patchwork of household history, creativity, artistry as well as a enthusiasm for the product as more than just a product. A testament to what can be done with a shoe when it’s in the right hands.
And that’s it, really. Not everybody is going to like a collaborative sneaker – or any type of sneaker for that matter – but, if the link between that co-branded silhouette as well as the name now freshly connected is anything less than honest, people are going to see with those flimsy connections as well as begin asking questions. great partnerships – no matter exactly how ugly – will always have the answers.
Image via David Lezcano