Red, White, & Blue Faces: The Reebok and Kendrick Lamar Sneaker Collaboration

Kendrick Lamar Sneaker Partnership Release A Timely New Shoe

Nowadays it seems like every shoe has a story. That idea seems to be at the most most prominent throughout critically acclaimed rapper and Compton’s golden child, Kendrick Lamar. Back in the Winter of 2014, Reebok and the TDE rapper came together for a promotional commercial based on Kendrick’s hometown as he began talking about what his city means to him. That developed into what is now the Kendrick Lamar sneaker.

Last year, Kendrick released his first shoe collaboration with the UK based company with a very unique explanation behind it. An off white suede sneaker with RED and BLUE written on the back and Kendrick Lamar written in Schoolboy Q’s infamous scribble handwriting on the tongue, one in red and the other in blue. Lamar combined the idea of gang affiliation and unity into one sneaker.

This Independence Day weekend, Kendrick and Reebok have come together once again to release a beautiful pair of kicks. A week or so after tearing up the BET Awards stage with Queen Bey, Lamar has taken a twist on the brand’s iconic ‘Classic Leathers’.

The Kendrick Lamar sneaker features a split seam design that has a thick set of stitching going down the middle. The iconic logo on the side went from saying to “Reebok” to a mere “k” to exemplify K-Dot’s affiliation with the brand, and the set of shoes is split into one half with a red design, the other containing a blue design. Reebok labeled this seam as “a metaphor for the major decisions he’s been forced to make – from championing gang neutrality throughout his upbringing to using his artistry to make a difference in his own community and the world over.” It seems like Kendrick’s goal is to make a change in the world from both a fashion and music standpoint.