Style
A$AP Rocky’s next sneaker collab is all about ‘reinventing’ Vans
Nearly three years after his last collaboration, Rocky is dropping sneakers with Vans “soon.”
In a recent GQ cover feature, A$AP Rocky revealed he had an upcoming sneaker collaboration with Vans. In typical celebrity fashion, though, the details behind the partnership are scarce. As for when the collaboration will drop, Rocky only hinted, “soon.”
Despite his unique style, A$AP hasn’t been that active in the fashion world as of late — perhaps because he’s been focused on his relationship with Rihanna, which we can’t blame him for. “She’s the One,” he divulged to GQ. But with Rihanna dominating the beauty industry with Fenty Beauty and Skin, the lingerie space with Savage x Fenty, and hopefully soon, the music industry, what is A$AP bringing to the table?
Rocky’s past projects — Besides equally good looks and a strong rap career, Rocky previously collaborated with Adidas, where he launched collaborative Wings sneakers alongside Jeremy Scott. The rapper also released footwear — perhaps less successfully — with Under Armour in 2018, delivering the SRLo (Skate, Rave, Lo) sneaker. Initially, only 250 pairs of each colorway (500 in total) dropped in a surprise release, leaving fans scrambling to buy the sneaker. As one of the few shoes dropped by A$AP, the SRLo shoes are selling for as much as $60,000 on resale websites.
After a brief stint in a Swedish prison in 2018, Rocky moved away from footwear and more into high fashion. Partnering with Parisian designer Marine Serre — something A$AP said in his interview was a “dream of a collaboration” — he crafted a collection for the designer brand, resulting in the perfect blend of high fashion and streetwear.
Vans collab is coming A$AP — Although Rocky hasn’t said much about his upcoming Vans collaboration, we can only assume he’s bringing the same refined street style look to the brand’s sneakers. In his interview with GQ, the rapper implied he’d “completely reinvented” Van’s classic Slip-On, and that the release will be “exclusive” — as if we could imagine anything less. Images of the sneakers have yet to leak, but fans can expect them to drop “soon,” according to Rocky.
With Vans seemingly struggling to bring in a profit — most recently ripping off Crocs and debuting a caged sneaker reminiscent of Swiss cheese — the brand could be attempting to cross into the world of streetwear. In the sneaker world especially, collaborations are everything. There’s no celebrity more qualified than Rocky to revamp the brand into a tasteful yet coveted label.
