10 Black Icons Who Shaped The Sneaker Industry

If you take a minute to think about some of the most hyped sneaker collaborations in history, you'll find that the majority of them are created by black people. From Kanye West to Serena Williams, the game wouldn't be what it is today without people of colour at the helm, so we're showcasing ten black icons who shaped the sneaker industry as we know it.

Why is this important? Black culture isn't celebrated enough, and in light of the Black Lives Matter movement it's vital that we use our platform to showcase the individuals who have made the biggest impact on the culture. Just think about the music you listen to or even the movies you watch - would it really be what it is without POC?

No, and for that reason we think it's essential that we champion these legends because they aren't just a famous name attached to a brand. They're an inspiration to us all and every single one of them deserves more credit where credit's due.

It's safe to say that many of us wouldn't be into sneakers if it weren't for Kanye West. While he's known as an artist with a whopping twenty-one Grammys under his belt, he's now arguably more famous for his contribution to the sneaker game. From BAPE to Nike to Louis Vuitton, Ye has teamed up with them all, but his collaboration with adidas is by far his most successful to date.

Starting in 2015 with the Yeezy Boost 750, he has since released over ten striking silhouettes, with each one playing a major role in sculpting the culture. For instance, Yeezus debuted the Yeezy 700 during 2017's Yeezy Season 5 showcase and since then chunky sneakers have become insanely popular. While it can be argued that Raf Simons kicked off the trend with his avant-garde take on the Ozweego, the fad wasn't really socially acceptable until Ye stepped into the spotlight.

One of the most talked about designers, Martine Rose began her ascent to stardom in 2017 with her breathtaking London Fashion Week Men's collections. Since then, she's teamed up with a multitude of different brands including Balenciaga and Napapijri which reintroduced the ultra popular floral fleece that sold out in prior seasons.

Of course, you can't talk about the British designer's achievements without mentioning her Nike Air Monarch collaboration that completely reworked the classic silhouette from the ground up. Available in three clean colourways, they were all injected with a bulbous pods that paid homage to Rose's love of wearable sculpture.

Whether you know him as the the professional basketball player, the entrepreneur, or the owner of the Charlotte Hornets, one thing that everyone knows Michael Jordan for is his signature Air Jordan line. One of the most successful and popular shoes produced by Nike, the partnership began almost four decades ago back in 1984 and it's still going strong.

Comprising of over thirty unique silhouettes, the most iconic of them all has got to be 1985's Air Jordan 1 and 1989's Air Jordan 4. He's also teamed up with some of the biggest names in art, music, and fashion, including KAWS, Eminem, and Virgil Abloh. It's a good thing that MJ listened to his mother, as he originally wanted to sign with adidas before Deloris Jordan convinced him to meet with the Swoosh first, and the rest is history.

Known primarily for his NMD Hu line, Pharrell Williams' coveted adidas collaboration actually goes back to 2014. In September of that year, he teamed up with the Three Stripes for the world famous adidas Superstar "Supercolor" Collection. Comprising of fifty different shades, this was something that was never done before up until this point.

In 2017, Skateboard P and Karl Lagerfeld bid farewell to Colette with the Chanel x Pharrell x adidas NMD Hu. Limited to just 500 pairs, each one retailed for around £1,000 and was sold exclusively through an online raffle. They launched on November 23rd, and just two days later, the Parisian retailer shut its doors for the final time.

Nine Grammys, twelve Billboard Music Awards, thirteen American Music Awards, and seven MTV Video Music Awards, these are just some of Rihanna's achievements before we even talk about her contribution to the fashion and sneaker scene.

For many years, RiRi has collaborated with some of the most noteworthy designers in fashion so it came as no surprise when she launched her own label. Soon after, she teamed up with PUMA for the FENTY x PUMA Collection which infiltrated the runways of every major Fashion Week, with many sneakerheads calling her PUMA Creeper 2016's Shoe of the Year. Not only was this a big year for women in fashion, but it was also monumental for people of colour as well.

While Run DMC isn't exactly an individual, it's safe to say that the sneaker industry wouldn't be what it is today without them. Founded in 1983 by Joseph Simmons, Darryl McDaniels, and Jason Mizell, they're regarded as one of the most influential acts in the history of hip hop culture. They were also one of the first groups to sign a multi-million dollar deal with adidas.

Known for wearing their adidas Superstars laceless and with the tongues poking out, almost half a million pairs were sold in the same year which was an unprecedented amount for the time. The Three Stripes then unleashed an entire Run DMC line complete with fully sponsored tours.

Not only is Serena Williams a legend on the tennis court, having won twenty-three Grand Slam singles titles which is the most by any player in the Open Era, she's also one hell of a fashion icon as well. From her 2018 Vogue cover to her ongoing partnership with Nike, one collection that really had sneakerheads going was Williams' Off-White x Nike collab in which Virgil Abloh designed three colourways specifically for her.

Dubbed the "QUEEN" collection, the pack comprised of the Nike Air Max 97, the Nike Blazer Mid, and the NikeCourt Flare 2 PE. Each model featured a gradient midsole that fades from pink to purple as well as black deconstructed elements and a "Volt" zip tie.

Bringing it back to the UK, Skepta has been making moves since the early 2000s. From his humble Tottenham beginnings to his Konnichiwa days, his Nigerian heritage has always played a major role in his work. In fact, in 2018 he was even installed as a chief in his Nigerian hometown in Ogun State, receiving the chieftaincy title of the Amuludun of Odo-Aje.

As for sneakers, the British grime artist stole the scene in 2017 with his Nike Air Max 97. Inspired by a trip to Morocco, the upper was painted in a luxe gold and black palette and decorated with traditional patterns throughout. He has since three other Swoosh silhouettes, including the Skepta x Nike Air Max 97/BW hybrid which arguably kicked off the mismatched trend.

It's crazy to think that Travis Scott only signed with Nike three years ago, and the culture hasn't been the same since. Kicking it all off with a Nike Air Force 1 in 2017, he then expanded to the Air Jordan line for two years before returning to the AF1 with 2019's "Cactus Jack". He also worked on the Nike SB Dunk in 2020, and since then, the skateboarding silhouette has become one of the most hyped silhouettes of the year with even general releases selling out within seconds of dropping.

Of course, you can't talk about his Swoosh collab without mentioning the Travis Scott x Air Jordan 1 High "Dark Mocha". Known for its earthy palette, La Flame quite literally turned things around by inverting the Swoosh. While this was originally seen as gimmicky by many sneakerheads, it quickly became an icon that will surely go down in the history books.

Originally trained as an architect, Virgil Abloh's calling came about when he began making his own T-shirts at a screen-printing store in Chicago where he met Kanye West. The duo later interned at Fendi for a short stint, then he delved head first into the world of streetwear with Pyrex Vision, which later became Off-White.

Known for his use of quotation marks, zip-ties, and barricade tape, he joined Team Nike in 2017 for the highly coveted "THE TEN" which deconstructed ten of the Swoosh's most iconic silhouettes. Just one year later, Abloh was crowned as Louis Vuitton’s Artistic Director of Menswear. This move was important from a diversity standpoint because the Parisian label had never had an African-American artistic director. It also meant that he was one of the very few designers of colour to helm a major fashion house, following Olivier Rousteing for Balmain and Ozwald Boateng for Givenchy.

Who else do you think should be on this list? Let us know, and while you're, here's how you can support the Black Lives Matter movement!