There are few things better in the sneaker world than when a dope celebrity comes together with a sneaker company to create a collaborative sneaker. Kanye with Nike, Adidas, Reebok (S. Carter if you were wondering) and Louis Vutton. Drizzy with Jordan. Kendrick Lamar with Reebok. High-profile collaborations usually bring out the best in the two involved parties and make for an inspired sneaker. However, this isn’t always the case.
There have been some truly awful collaborations, where an artist and a brand have linked up to produce steaming piles of garbage. I’m talking the kind of shoe where your first thought is “what the fuck is this??” when you lay eyes on them. I’m talking the kind of shoe that makes Sketchers look like Saint Laurents. I’m talking the kind of shoe that….alright, that’s enough. Let’s get right to it.
Tyga x Reebok
If there was such a thing as the fuckboy Avengers, Tyga would be Captain America. If there’s anyone that’s taken more L’s in the last few years than this alpha herb, I’ve yet to find them, and that extends to this terrible sneaker he designed with Reebok. Sure, it was admirable that he tried to keep the price low so kids could afford them, but the unfortunate fact of the matter is that no kids wanted them because they sucked. You can find these monochromatic monstrosities for around twenty bucks on most sites, and even that seems a little bit high.
Meek Mill x Puma
Meek Mill and Puma came together and made their best effort to permanently ruin the Basket silhouette with these gag-inducing patent-leather and red kicks. These look like the shoes your Newport-smoking, Colt 45 can drinking uncle wore to your family reunion last year with a matching shirt and shorts. These aren’t quite as big of an L as Meek took in his battle with Drake, but they’re a nice lead-in.
Rihanna x Puma
I really do love Puma and how they do their best to support the culture, but they’re gonna have to hold their second L in a row on these ones. Why in God’s name would anyone think it’s a good idea to take such a clean silhouette and slap a super-thick gum sole that looks like it was taken from a lift shoe on it is beyond me. Rihanna is usually fashion-forwards and doesn’t give a fuck about what people think, but not giving a fuck came back to bite her in the ass on this one, as the design certainly looks like she didn’t have a fuck to give when she was looking it over.
Tyga (again) x LA Gear
Tyra thought he was going to slide by with just one L, but he’s about to take another one. Although the T-Rawws were horrible, this gold lump he collaborated with LA Gear on is even worse (and he even got served papers at the launch party). Not only do they look like they belong on the shelf next to the 4-stripe Adidas knockoffs at Payless, they’re LA Gears, for the love of Based God. You want to know why LA Gear died off in the first place? Because they’re not dope. Newsflash: Letting a c-list rapper design an ugly gold shoe won’t make you popular again.
Soulja Boy x Yums
Remember Yums? No? Can’t say I’m surprised. During the height of Soulja Boy’s short-lived popularity (and before his current endeavor, BLVD Supply), he released several sneakers through his first shot at a brand, Yums. Patent leather on a shoe that looks like the bastard child of an Air Force 1 and a Bapesta? No thanks. This shoe is a perfect example of what was so horrible about hip-hop fashion in the late 00’s. Thank Kanye (and A$AP Rocky) for ensuring that 00’s fashion never got out of the 00’s.
So there you have it. Five terrible celebrity sneaker collabs. Were there any glaring omissions on the list? Do you LIKE one or two of these shoes? Sound off in the comments, or let us know on Twitter. We’re always down for a good roasting session.
Share KicksOneTwo
