The old adage that controversy sells has never been more accurate than when it comes to Lil Nas X. He first shot to superstardom thanks to the chilly reception from the country music establishment to his breakout single “Old Town Road” and now, he’s making even more of a fuss with his fantastical video for “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” and its clever cross-marketing gimmick. The “Satan shoes” Lil Nas X collaborated with design company MSCHF on may have drawn plenty of criticism for their wild conceptual execution but they also sold out in under a minute, according to Nas himself.
The shoes, which are customized Nike Air Max 97s (without Nike’s involvement), were produced in an ultra-limited run of just 666 pairs and reportedly featured one drop of human blood mixed into the ink used to fill the air unit. They retailed at $1,018 a pair, so for them to sell out so quickly is kind of an impressive feat. They haven’t hit StockX just yet, but you can bet when they do the markup will be absolutely insane.
The backlash to both the shoes and the video have “Satanic Panic” trending on Twitter as Gen X users fondly remember the similar fuss over now beloved cultural icons like Ozzy Osbourne, Harry Potter, and Dungeons & Dragons. Their ridicule hasn’t stopped conservative commentator and grumpy hip-hop heads from trying to condemn him, but as usual, he’s had a witty comeback every step of the way — including a funny, Chick Fil-A-inspired take on his shoes that evokes the backlash against the restaurant chain after accusations of homophobia against it prompted boycotts just over a year ago.
Lil Nas X has had a big weekend. First he dropped his new single, “Montero (Call Me By Your Name),” alongside a barn-burning video, which climaxes with him seducing Satan before snapping his neck and taking his horns. But there was more: He was teaming with the viral company MSCHF to create a line of Nike Air Max 97s that have been dubbed “Satan Shoes” — not only due to their crimson design but because, well, they also contain a drop of blood in them. The shoes have drawn a mixed response. One of the naysayers? Nike itself.
As per The New York Times, the shoe giant put out a statement distancing themselves from the shoe and from the young rapper himself. “We do not have a relationship with Little Nas X or MSCHF,” the statement read. “Nike did not design or release these shoes, and we do not endorse them.”
Though the Consumer Product Safety Commission has yet to weigh in on the line’s legal issues, MSCHF appears to be rolling full steam ahead anyway, with a limited number of the redesigned shoe — 666, of course — being sold for the high, high cost of $1,018.
As for the blood, it’s just a drop, mixed in with the ink that comprises the shoe’s air bubble. And where did it come from? From the MSCHF’s small staff, who each contributed enough to fill the large-ish order. (When asked who procured the blood, one of MSCHF’s founders, Daniel Greenberg told the Times, “Uhhhhhh yeah hahah not medical professionals we did it ourselves lol.”)
As for Lil Nas X, he responded to the controversy with a sarcastic video, in which he begins to apologize for helping create “Satan Shoes,” only for it to abruptly segue into the climax of his new video, right when he’s begun to gyrate in the Devil’s lap.
Lil Nas X has left the internet in a bit of a frenzy this past weekend thanks to his “Montero (Call Me By Your Name)” video. The images of hell and the singer’s interaction with a devilish character in the visual have left fans with mixed reactions toward it. However, that’s only half of it as a collaboration has made some even more upset because of its satanic inspiration.
Lil Nas also announced an upcoming shoe collaboration with viral company MSCHF. The two have partnered for limited edition customized Nike Air Max 97s that have been dubbed as “Satan Shoes.” Set for a March 29 arrival, the shoes will contain a drop of human blood mixed with ink inside its sole and only 666 pairs will be available at the price of $1,018.
MSCHF x Lil Nas X “Satan Shoes”
Nike Air Max ’97 Contains 60cc ink and 1 drop of human blood 666 Pairs, individually numbered $1,018 March 29th, 2021 pic.twitter.com/XUMA9TKGSX
They are (the drop of blood not my steez though) also people don’t realize MSCHF dropped a pair of Jesus Walk on Water Air Max 97 filled with 60cc of Holy Water sourced from the Jordan River in 2019
For what it’s worth, the shoe collab is just a flip of Air Max 97s that MSCHF released back in 2019. The “Jesus Shoes” were filled with 60cc of Holy Water from the Jordan River. In addition to that, as some have mistaken, the Satan Shoes are not the result of a partnership with Nike. A spokesperson for the brand denied the existence of a collab with the shoes saying, “Nike did not release nor design these shoes.”
What actually happens here is MSCHF purchases the shoes sold by Nike and adds their own designs and modifications to it before reselling them. MSCHF is also known for these unorthodox releases as a 2020 Business Insider profile credited them for “creating some of the most absurd, cynical, and viral projects and products that have spread across the internet.”
Keeping all of this in mind, some fans are upset with the theme of Lil Nas’ and MSCHF collab while others see no issue with it. As expected, they took to Twitter to share their thoughts.
You can read some reactions below and to learn more about the Satan Shoes, click here.
My kids will never play Old Town road again.. I’m still debating about wearing @Nike after this come nike a drop of blood for real
Mfs be racist, have babies out of wedlock, lie, cheat , wear mixed fabrics ,wear jewelry,work on Saturdays, eat seafood but this is where they draw the line #Nike#LILNASXpic.twitter.com/1daecCyOXC
Christians will be baited into marketing anything. do they not realize that these Satan shoes are a mockery? free marketing for Lil Nas X pic.twitter.com/QoTcg9s4Ze
I hate that we live in a society where @LilNasX can’t make “Satan Shoes” but we are all supposed to be ok with Christianity forced down our throats in almost every aspect of Western Culture? Fuck that. These religious freaks need to worry about the pedophiles of their churches.
Jack Harlow may have shown off his athletic prowess during the recent NBA All-Star weekend B/R Open Run, but he apparently doesn’t exactly enjoy exercise. At least, not judging from his appearance in a recent television advertisement for New Balance. He makes sure to contradict the commercial’s voiceover when it asserts that he loves running before he hits the treadmill. “I hate running,” he insists before allowing, “I love these though,” pointing down at the Fresh Foams.
Harlow, who appears in the ad with professional runners Emma Coburn and Daichi Kamino, has had a busy March. Besides helping his teammate Quavo defeat the size advantage of 2 Chainz and Lil Baby in the Bleacher Report basketball game, he’s making two major performance debuts. First, he and his band took over his living room for a soulful Tiny Desk Concert, and this weekend he’ll be appearing on late-night television with Maya Rudolph to perform on Saturday Night Live.
He’ll do well to keep up that cardio in his new New Balance running shoes as well; Lil Baby recently demanded a rematch — after a reasonable amount of time to train, of course. Maybe Jack will be kind enough to donate a pair to his would-be opponents, because last time, they looked pretty winded after a few plays.
Watch Jack Harlow’s New Balance commercial above.
Jack Harlow is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Back in June 2020, Kanye West announced that his brand Yeezy landed a deal with Gap. While he didn’t share too many details about the joint venture, some specifics about the partnership were revealed by The New York Times. According to “a person familiar with the negotiations, who was not authorized to speak publicly,” the deal holds a term of ten years, with the option to renew after five. Almost nine months later, Yeezy and Gap’s partnership seems to be a successful endeavor.
Bloomberg reports that the collaboration between the two brands, which is set to be available in stores later this year, could be valued as high as $970 million. The publication also reported that Yeezy itself is valued between $3.2 billion to $4.7 billion, thanks to estimates from UBS Group. West also has $122 million in cash and stock, $110 million from his music catalog, and $1.7 billion in other assets, including Kim Kardashian’s SKIMS brand. If the reported numbers are correct, it would bump West’s net worth to somewhere between the range of $5.1 billion and $6.6 billion — a sharp increase from the $1.3 billion that Forbes reported last year.
In other news, last week collaborator Cyhi The Prynce said that West got back to work on his upcoming album Donda, which was originally set to arrive last summer.
This year was Chika‘s first time being nominated for a Grammy. She was up for Best New Artist, meaning she turned up to the awards show in style. She was dressed head-to-toe in a pastel Nike sweatsuit, complete with a trench coat and matching mask. After fans swooned over her outfit, the rapper shared a closer look at how Nike custom-made her clothes.
Detailing the process in a series of tweets, Chika shared a few mock-up images the designer had sketched for her. The trench coat was also made of sweatshirt material and was hand tie-dyed alongside the other pieces. “Nike LA & @iCONtips made a 1 of 1 track suit and hand dyed coat for me with colors i picked, i found the perfect bag, and we pulled this all off over iMessage convos,” she explained. “and made the custom mask less than a day before the show. they went the hell off.”
Nike LA & @iCONtips made a 1 of 1 track suit and hand dyed coat for me with colors i picked, i found the perfect bag, and we pulled this all off over iMessage convos.
and made the custom mask less than a day before the show.
#GRAMMYs glam ! Makeup Artist Alana Wright created a beaming beauty beat on award-nominee @oranicuhh with a full-face lineup of M·A·C must-haves. Get ahead of the holographic trend on Instagram! pic.twitter.com/BCcIMfqvMb
While she didn’t end up winning the Best New Artist nod, Chika did put her own spin on a cover of a previous Best New Artist’s track. Ahead of her appearance at the awards show, she took on Billie Eilish’s 2020 track “My Future” for Spotify, infusing it with her own style. About the cover, Chika said: “I picked ‘My Future’ by Billie Eilish as my [Best New Artist] cover for Spotify because the song is beautiful and presents an interesting opportunity to talk about where I am as an artist, especially on the heels of this nomination. My present is moving so fast that each passing moment is practically the future already. And I’m in love with the ride I’m on.”
Check out Chika’s 2021 Grammys outfit above.
Chika is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Right now, the biggest names in modern footwear are not the athletes that the sneakers are designed for. Don’t get us wrong, Jordan is still the biggest name in footwear, and considering how fire a fresh pair of Jordans still looks to this day, we don’t imagine another name is going to surpass it anytime soon. But big names are coming close, and none of them are known for their skills on a court — you’ve got people like Kanye West, who has now realized his dream of making a pivot from the hottest rapper in the game to the hottest sneaker and streetwear designer with his Yeezy Brand, Pharrel Williams, who has been toiling away at Adidas for a minute now with his Hu line, J Cole who seems to be constantly pumping out Pumas, and Beyonce who seems to be making tremendous leaps with each drop of her Ivy Park line.
The most exciting sneakers to drop right now are coming from hip-hop and no name is more exciting than La Flame — yes, we’re talking about Mr. Cactus Jack himself, Travis Scott. Together in partnership with Helmut Lang, Nike, and Jordan Brand, Scott has been dropping some of the most hyped sneaker releases of our modern era of streetwear, offering remixed designs of the aforementioned brand’s most popular silhouettes draped in Scott’s signature aesthetic and vibe.
Over the last three years, Scott has dropped 14 sneakers and today we’re here to rank every single one of them from worst to best. Let’s dive in.
14. Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive
GOAT
Amongst fans of Scott’s sneaker collaborations, these are absolutely hated. Some people feel that hate is overkill, arguing that these are slept on but they still deserve their spot at the bottom of this list. It’s not simply that they’re bad — this army olive mesh upper and brown suede heel panel is a pretty solid design for the XXXIIIs — but it’s just so boring in comparison to everything else Scott has done with Nike.
It feels mean to place any Scott shoe dead last, but it’s hard to argue that this is better than any of the other shoes on this list.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan XXXIII Army Olive at GOAT.
13. Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low
Nike
Originally, we ranked this one last. It’s a the threeway collaboration which coincided with the release of the Playstation 5, whuch just felt like tacky branded overkill. But the more we look at the design, which is actually kind of dope and borrows from the OG Playstation’s look for its colorway, the more it grows on us. We really don’t like the Sony branding on the heel (Playstation logo can stay) but we can’t sit here and pretend that the Jordan XXXIII is somehow better than this sail and light blue upper, with its charcoal grey reverse swoosh and embroidered branding.
Find the Travis Scott x Playstation Nike Dunk Low at StockX.
12. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top
END
Before Travis Scott started lending his aesthetic to classic Nike and Jordan silhouettes, he linked up with Italian designer Helmut Lang for a sleek all-black high-top and low-top sneaker. Featuring a nylon upper with leather and velcro straps across the heel and upper, the Travis Scott x Helmut Lang was made in Italy and features graphic bull imagery on the tongue and Helmut Lang branding on the heel tab.
It’s… okay, definitely a step up from the XXXIII and Playstation Dunk.
The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang Low Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.
11. Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails
GOAT
You’ll notice that Scott has a definite preference for Nike’s more retro silhouettes, so the Air Max 270 Cactus Trails is unique in that this is one of the most futuristic-looking Cactus Jack sneakers released yet, thanks to the aerodynamic design of the 270. It’s ironic that it’s also the most aged, with a yellowed midsole and a messy mix of textile, nubuck, and TPU Overlays over a dirty cream colorway.
It really earns its moniker “Cactus Trails,” this is a grimy, dusty mess of a design.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Max 270 React Cactus Trails at GOAT.
10. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White
StockX
Travis Scott’s long and fruitful collaboration with Nike begins with this take on the Air Force 1. Released in celebration of the 35th anniversary of the silhouette, this white canvas take on the AF-1 dropped at ComplexCon 2017 and featured interchangeable removable swooshes that were meant to evoke Scott’s trademark grill. The laces have a Cactus Jack logo covering them and the whole thing sits atop a contrasting gum sole.
It looks so different than the designs that would come to define Scott’s work with Nike.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low White at StockX.
9. Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top
END
The High Top version of Scott’s Helmut Lang sneaker is a massive improvement over the low. Featuring the same nylon upper with leather paneling and straps, the Helmut Lang high tops are super sleek, militaristic, and represent a Travis Scott era that feels like a distant memory. Not much to say about these that we haven’t said already with the low tops, this is just all-around a better design.
The Travis Scott x Helmut Lang High Top is currently unavailable on the aftermarket.
8. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack
GOAT
The Cactus Jack Air Force 1 has always had a Sean Wotherspoon vibe to us. We know what you’re thinking, “WHY BECAUSE IT HAS CORDUROY” Yup, that’s exactly why. Do you really think this zipped corduroy lace shroud would exist without Wotherspoon’s Air Max 97, which dropped two years earlier? You’re tripping.
The AF1 Cactus Jack features a graphic canvas upper, a brown swoosh on the outer, a black swoosh on the inner, and sits atop a gum outsole. It’s a dope design, but it’s just a little too busy. A comfortable mid-tier release by Scott.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Cactus Jack at GOAT.
7. Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha
StockX
This low-top version of the Jordan I borrows the design of the more iconic high-top version with a mocha and black nubuck leather upper and that polarizing backward swoosh on the lateral side. The backward swoosh actually looks bigger here (it’s not) making the sneaker look unlike a Jordan I, that’s kind of cool. The medial side panel features Cactus Jack lining in university red, making another appearance on the tongue, with the Air Jordan Wings on the heel tab.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro Low Mocha at GOAT.
6. Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail
GOAT
This Sail colorway of the Air Force 1 was Scott’s second release with Nike and built upon the all-white colorway that preceded it. The canvas upper and removable shiny swoosh is still here, but this Sail colorway just works so much better with the gum outsole and canvas construction. It feels like a true transitional sneaker between Scott’s first Nike drop to the more earthy and worn designs that would come to define the Cactus Jack aesthetic.
Find the Travis Scott Nike Air Force 1 Low Sail at GOAT.
5. Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple (Friends and Family Release)
StockX
We considered not even including this sneaker, as it’s a close friend and family-only release and never had a retail release, but it’s just too clean to ignore. It’s also currently available at StockX, which means someone isn’t being a good friend (we wouldn’t have done you like that, Travis!). This moody Jordan IV features a suede upper in a deep purple with black accents and a grey lace cage.
It’s easily one of the best colorways we’ve ever seen of the Jordan IV period, it’s almost cruel this wasn’t released to the public. Scott has a few more friends and family colorways, but none reach this level of perfection.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Purple Suede at StockX.
4. Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack
GOAT
This is a totally personal take, but this pair brings up a lot of nostalgia for me. The bandana-inspired paisley overlays capture so much of the imagery of growing up in and around East LA. This sneaker looks like my childhood, filtered down into a shoe. The SB Dunk Low Cactus Jack is significant because it’s Scott’s first skate sneaker, utilizing Nike’s ridiculously popular silhouette, dressing it in a tan leather base with plaid quarter panels, paisley overlays, and canvas that tears away to reveal an earthy camo pattern that kind of resembles Nike’s elephant print (but isn’t quite that).
The design is rounded out by thick rope laces, the whole thing really captures Scott’s Cactus Jack aesthetic — muted, yet psychedelic.
Find the Travis Scott Nike SB Dunk Low Premium QS at GOAT.
3. Travis Scott Jordan 6 Retro
StockX
Released fairly recently at the end of 2019, the Jordan VI features an almost militaristic olive green nubuck and suede upper with a little stash snap pocket on the outer collar. At the time of release, it felt like this was the perfect music festival sneaker to hide your stash in. Now the idea of going to a concert seems novel. Scott rocked this colorway at the Super Bowl 53 halftime show, leading to its coveted status amongst sneakerheads and Travis Scott fans alike.
The design is rounded out by a glow-in-the-dark translucent outsole with sail and university red accent work. Scott has yet to drop something that tops this design since its debut release.
There were several times I came close to ranking this as the number one pick, and while ultimately I contend that it’s probably (probably!) not the best Travis Scott sneaker out there, it is my personal favorite. This use of Nike’s university red and blue here is just beautiful, with its blue Durabuck leather upper and a red collar and insole. Inspired by the Houston Oilers, Scott’s hometown team, the Cactus Jack Jordan IV’s are rounded out by a core black lace cage and heel panel with university blue speckles, and feature Cactus Jack and Jumpman branding on the left and right heel respectively.
I’m already regretting not giving it the number one slot.
Find the Travis Scott Jordan 4 Retro Cactus Jack at GOAT.
1. Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High Mocha
GOAT
It feels almost cliche to rank the Mocha Jordan I Retro High as Scott’s best, but this sneaker release has managed to become emblematic of Cactus Jack as a fashion entity now three years after its original release. The large over-sized backward swoosh looks very gimmicky by today’s standards (though we don’t know that it didn’t always) but that mix of mocha suede paneling again a sail leather upper with university red accents is still one of the silhouette’s best colorways.
Since this insanely popular drop, Nike has since borrowed this same exact color scheme for a stock Air Jordan I, which we actually prefer, since it doesn’t have the backward swoosh. But hey, that’s just us.
Find the at Travis Scott Jordan 1 Retro High at GOAT.
Megan Thee Stallion is one of the new faces of Calvin Klein. The staple fashion brand recruits the Houston Hottie, along with other stars like actor Anthony Ramos, reggae star Koffee, and singer/songwriter Rina Sawayama, for its new 2021 campaign. Along with the usual print images, the campaign includes an enigmatic short film featuring the campaign’s stars asking viewers, “What makes you vulnerable?”
The campaign is just the latest high-profile brand sponsorship for Thee Stallion this year. Last month, she spoofed the 2004 teen comedy classic Mean Girls in a separate campaign for luxury brand Coach after being featured on the cover of Harper’s Bazaar. Unfortunately, fans weren’t happy about the Harper’s shots, even after it was revealed that Megan herself got approval over the photos.
Of course, the Hotties were quickly appeased by an anime voice actor’s shout out to the “Body” rapper, and she got approving co-signs from both Congressperson Maxine Waters and actor Idris Elba. She’s also on-track to graduate this year and follow through on her plan to open an assisted-living facility with her classmates. It’s safe to say that after 2019’s Hot Girl Summer and 2020’s Good News, Megan Thee Stallion isn’t going anywhere in 2021.
See Megan Thee Stallion in Calvin Klein’s latest campaign above.
Megan Thee Stallion is a Warner Music artist. Uproxx is an independent subsidiary of Warner Music Group.
Seattle rapper Macklemore is trading in those thrift store duds for something a little fancier (but just as retro) with the launch of his Bogey Boys clothing label, which remixes the type of looks you’d expect to see on the green (circa ’79-82) and puts them more in line with what you’d see on the streets. If you’re wondering “why golf?” we’ve got an answer. As Macklemore recently shared on Uproxx’s People’s Party with Talib Kweli, he’s become an avid golfer during the pandemic.
As far as golf-playing celebrities go, Brad Pitt’s Cousin is actually pretty damn skilled, too. He recently won a five-hole match at AT&T’s Every Shot Counts Charity Challenge — well, technically he tied with Alfonso Riberio, who literally seems like the inspiration for much of this line.
Bogey Boys feels like a big, wild, fun maximalist vintage golf adventure, but it doesn’t feel like some white-label cash grab. Macklemore told Hypebeast, “Design has always been an integral part of the creative process… all the tech specs of the work have been a journey and definitely a new endeavor… It’s something that I’ve been passionate about and definitely has been in my wheelhouse.” In short, Macklemore’s merch, artwork, and music video concepts have always come from in-house, so pivoting to apparel isn’t that surprising.
Remember, the dude got huge on a song about clothes!
The full Bogey Boys collection consists of polo shirts, button-ups, jackets, sweaters, pants, sweatshirts, t-shirts, and hats — everything you’d need for a dope golf fit — and is now available at the Bogey Boys webstore. The whole thing takes on a sort of colorful Golf Wang vibe, but a little more mature. Check out some of the Bogey Boys lookbook photos below and head over to Bogey Boys to shop the full collection.
Bogey BoysBogey BoysBogey BoysBogey BoysBogey BoysBogey Boys
Kanye West may get all the credit for keeping Adidas on a competitive level with Nike, but over the past year, the three stripes brand has been working hard to prop up another huge name in cross-brand collaboration, a name that actually manages to best Ye from a pure fame standpoint. Watch out Ye, because Bey is coming up fast.
Beyonce’s gender-neutral athleisure label, IVY PARK, is a little over a year old now, but in that short time Bey and Adidas have built up quite the catalog of unique sneaker colorways, utilizing some of the Three Stripe’s most interesting silhouettes. Design-wise, Ivy Park has been taking a different approach than what Kanye is doing with Yeezy — rather than create entirely new sneaker silhouettes, the brand focuses on offering remixes of Adidas’ classic styles, offering sleek cuts, exciting material choices, and vibrant color palettes fit for an internet-breaking Beyonce video. A simple celebrity cash grab this is not!
Kanye may be the most successful music- turned designer for now, but with heat like this from Beyonce plus Rihanna killing it with Savage x Fenty, he needs to watch that throne. Let’s dive into every Ivy Park Adidas sneaker, including the latest winter-ready Icy Park collection, ranked from worst to best.
18. Ivy Park Adidas Superstar Platform
Adidas
The Superstar is hands-down one of Adidas’ greatest silhouettes, but it’s at the bottom of this list. Not because it’s a platform (no, that’s not a screen glitch, the shoe actually looks like that), though that doesn’t help. Because it’s… ugly. And not in that trendy so-ugly-it’s-fashion way.
It’s just straight-up hard to look at.
That’s probably why it wasn’t included in either of the first, second or even third Ivy Park drops. Instead, it landed last year as part of a collection that also featured other Superstar reimaginings by Jonah Hill and Sean Wotherspoon. It’s ultimately forgettable and remains a stain on a near-perfect record.
Find the Ivy Park Adidas Superstar Platform at GOAT.
17. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra Boost DNA Black
StockX
I know I was just trashing on the abomination that is the Superstar Platform, but this triple black iteration of the Adidas Ultra Boost comes dangerously close to being just as bad. Released as part of an extension to Ivy Park drop 2, this sneaker has few redeemable qualities. A prime knit upper in core black atop a matching BOOST midsole, and a puzzling radioactive volt outsole, you can get all of this with a stock Adidas drop, so you’re getting little more than a name here, and paying the price for it.
Get the Ivy park Adidas Ultra Boost DNA at StockX.
16. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 White Black
Adidas
Released last year as part of the second Ivy Park collection, the Super Sleek 72 White/Black suffers solely because it isn’t quite as good as drop 1’s Super Sleek, and nowhere near drop 3’s. The colorways are solid, but ultimately it’s going to be impossible to rock a pair of these without being reminded that they aren’t one of the three better colorways.
We’ll get more into the details behind this special silhouette when we talk about the original release. One annoying thing about this shoe is, it was originally called the Sleek Super, and everyone kept calling it the Super Sleek, and Adidas just quietly changed it!
Or did they? It’s a real Bernstein Bears situation with this sneaker.
The Forum Lo debuted in drop 2 of Ivy Park and since then the brand has shifted focus to the Forum Mid, which we admit is much better. . The Forum Lo features a leather and suede upper with a translucent bottom sole and a fastening strap. It’s easily the least flashy sneaker in the entire IVY PARK collection.
Is that a bad thing? Not necessarily. But if you can’t get behind a fastening strap, you’re not going to find a lot to love here.
14. Ivy Park Adudas Nite Jogger Maroon/Solar Orange
Adidas
When Ivy Park initially dropped in January 2020, this sneaker was criticized endlessly, and for good reason. It looks like a goddamn traffic cone thanks to its Solar Orange half and half colorway — with a toe box dipped in deep maroon.
This shoe is out there, but we respect Beyonce’s bold design here. They’re impossible to look away from. For better or worse.
Find the Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Maroon at GOAT.
13. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 Black
StockX
Released as a short update to Ivy Park drop 2 in November of last year, this triple-black version of the Ivy Park Super Sleek is pretty clean but had Ivy Park opted for an all-black sole over the gum, we’d have bumped it up considerably on this list. The gum sole is nice, but it keeps this design from being the dominatrix (or Darth Vader, if you’re nerdy) sneaker it so desperately wants to be.
The wrinkled core black leather upper is accented nicely by some core black suede accents. Not the worst Super Sleek, but a bit far from the best.
Find the Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72 Black at GOAT.
12. Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Dark Green Frozen Yellow
StockX
This Dark Green Frozen Yellow Nite Jogger suffers from the same problem as the Maroon iteration, only this one isn’t quite as ugly. Instead of a traffic cone, it resembles a Mountain Dew bottle — which is better, if only a little.
All jokes aside, this iteration sold out almost instantly when it launched as part of drop 2. Aftermarket prices have settled around $150 for this pair in 2021. Not a bad pickup if you want to Do the Dew.
Find the Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Dark Frozen at GOAT.
11. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Maroon
StockX
When the first Ivy Park collection dropped, this felt like the signature piece. While it’s not our favorite, it’s still pretty beloved. Featuring a double Maroon colorway atop a Solar Orange outsole, this design nails the futuristic fitness vibe that the Maroon Nite Jogger couldn’t quite master.
Find the Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Maron at GOAT.
10. Ivy Park Adidas Nite Jogger Off-White
Adidas
So far the IVY PARK Nite Jogger’s have suffered from a half-and-half presentation that just doesn’t work, but this mix of Off-White (not that Off-White, but wouldn’t that be something?), Ecru Tint and Dark Green just works.
It also brings something new to Adidas’ usual Nite Jogger offerings with a brighter presentation and an alternate lacing system that really shows off the silhouette’s cool geometry.
While the second IVY PARK drop brought a lot new to the looks coming out of the label, it also acted as an opportunity to refresh the first drop’s best designs. This didn’t work for the Sleek Super 72, but this Hi-Res Yellow version of the Adidas Ultra BOOST knocks the original Maroon dip out of the park.
It’s every bit as extreme as the original, but the Hi-Res has some balance as well — with a gum outsole that matches up nicely with the blinding colorway.
8. Ivy Park Adidas Ultra Boost Icy Park White
Adidas
Released as part of Ivy Park’s winter-focused Icy Park drop, this triple white iteration of the Ultra BOOST is an improvement over last year’s all-black version. The Ultra BOOST isn’t quite as hot as it was six years ago, but this Ivy Park iteration is great, offering a prime knit upper with TPU overlays, a BOOST midsole, a rubber gum outsole, and Ivy Park’s comfort-focused draw-string lacing system.
Swapping out that hideous volt outsole for the traditional gum was the right call!
Get the Ivy Park Adidas Ultra BOOST Icy Park at Adidas.
7. Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Metallic Silver
Adidas
We’re happy to see Beyonce showing more love to the Forum Mid, which first debuted as part of Ivy Park drop 2. This shimmery metallic version was released as part of the Icy Park drop and features ankle straps, a multi-layered leather upper, and a luxurious silver metallic colorway.
As cool as it is, it’s our least favorite Forum Mid colorway out of the Ivy Park lineage.
Get the Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Metallic Siler at Adidas.
6. Ivy Park Adidas Forum Mid Cream
Adidas
Everything we love about the Forum Mid Metallic Silver in a more functional and stylistically conservative cream colorway. But as a person who has owned their fair share of metallic sneakers, I’m here to tell you that these, while tamer, will age so much better.
Metallic colorways go in and out of style, but cream is much more timeless.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. This was our original number one pick, but as the years have gone on our perspective has shifted. That’s not a bad thing, it means Ivy Park continues to evolve, as this was the centerpiece of the original drop. The shape is IVY PARK’s most original, as it was adapted from Adidas’ Samba Silhouette to Bey’s personal specifications, and that mix of White premium leather and Dash Grey suede with subtle Maroon and Solar Orange accents works incredibly harmoniously.
The entire first IVY PARK collection might revolve around this same color scheme, but it never works quite so perfectly as it does here. We’re hoping the Sleek Super’s success inspires IVY PARK to dabble in more original shapes.
4. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek Boot
Adidas
We’re glad to see Ivy Park show a lot of love to the Super Sleek silhouette, it’s the brand’s most original design and to see it here in boot form as the centerpiece of drop 3 shows a commitment to giving us something new out of Ivy Park, rather than relying solely on Adidas’ stock designs.
With a cloud white, off-white, and core white colorway, this leather and suede boot sits atop a chunky gum sole, with braided bungee detailing around the heel.
The IVY PARK Forum Mid Green Tint was Ivy Park’s first go at Adidas’ Forum Mid silhouette and it’s still the best! In fact, it’s one of the best colorways to come out of the Ivy Park brand.
The shoe still has that leather and suede construction of the low top, but the fastening strap looks less out of place here and that Green Tint colorway is just too damn fresh.
2. Adidas IVY PARK Nite Jogger Ecru Tint
StockX
The Ecru Tint Nite Jogger isn’t only the best IVY PARK Nite Jogger, it’s the best Nite Jogger colorway Adidas has ever dropped. That’s high praise and, honestly, if this sneaker said “Off-White” instead of “IVY PARK” it’d be going for thousands on the aftermarket.
Be thankful it isn’t!
It looks like something that would come from the mind of Virgil Abloh, only without the gimmicky tags or production numbers. Clean, classic, bold, and damn near perfect.
1. Ivy Park Adidas Super Sleek 72
Adidas
A future classic in the making. This Cloud white, off-white, core white makeup of the Super Sleek 72 is now Bey’s greatest contribution to the footwear game. It took a few attempts, but Bey finally found a way to build on what she did with drop 1’s Super Sleek (Our original number 1) with this all-white iteration out of the Icy Park drop. The way it swaps the originals laces with thicker braided laces, the mix of luxe leather and premium suede — it’s just so damn clean!
(@LilNasX) March 28, 2021
Nike Air Max ’97
Contains 60cc ink and 1 drop of human blood
666 Pairs, individually numbered
$1,018
March 29th, 2021 
Mfs be racist, have babies out of wedlock, lie, cheat , wear mixed fabrics ,wear jewelry,work on Saturdays, eat seafood but this is where they draw the line 
(@__Ikike__) 
(@oranicuhh) 
! Makeup Artist Alana Wright created a beaming beauty beat on award-nominee 
