He's still committed to taking on big issues.
When Kendrick Lamar joined forces with Reebok towards the end of 2014, the artist recognized it was a unique platform for him to tackle issues that are largely overlooked in the industry. Footwear and fashion might not be go-to platforms for public conversations about issues beyond trends and popular style, but the world of sneakers offers an opportunity to talk to a particular range of people. Fans and collectors from disparate communities all come together in the passion of collecting footwear (like a rainbow Venn diagram), and that includes communities with contemporary tensions or violent histories.
For his first few pairs of Reebok Classic Leathers, Kendrick focused on the strife between gangs in his hometown of Compton, Los Angeles. The two colors of the Bloods and Crips, red and blue, coexisted on each pair of shoes, with different variations for successive releases–ending with a pair of green sneakers because "mixing Red and Blue makes Green," a popular Compton saying that means when everyone comes together, everyone grows. As a part of those releases, Kendrick and Reebok even produced a video of former gang members discussing their pasts and how they're working to leave the violence behind and make green.
The ongoing collaboration on Reebok Classic Leathers ended in 2016, but Reebok and Kendrick just announced the next incarnation of their collaboration—and explained how the design of the newest pair continues the broader conversation in a new way.
The new sneaker is a riff on the Club C that seem pretty simple off the bat, with a bleached denim upper and white sole. But the discourse is in the details. According to Reebok, Kendrick chose the bleached black denim as a representation of mystery and anonymity, but also the commingling and coexistence of two very different colors. No two hues are further apart than black and white, and at a time when our country is grappling with new conversations about race, this pair represents a part of Kendrick's contribution to that conversation, and the benefit of creating a collaborative community.
"Now more than ever it is important for individuals to come together as one," Kendrick explains. "This sneaker represents that call for unity and equality, while also pushing people to look beneath the surface and uncover the hidden messages. This is something I try to do with my music, and now here with the Club C."
The hidden messages that Kendrick refers to are all around us, but he symbolizes that theme in the shoes with minimal branding (the only additional branding you'll find on the shoe is under the tongue inside the sneaker), and remixed logotypes. The logos typically found on the Club C are still present in this pair, but they've been largely blacked out except for the "K" and "O," to represent "KDot," one of Kendrick's nicknames.
"This latest Capsule is a bold and unique design that continues and strengthens the theme of inspiring youths, but this time through the lens of anonymity and abstractionism–powerful messages that ring true throughout Kendrick's music," explains Global Vice President of Reebok Classic and Entertainment Todd Krinsky.
Watch for the shoes to release on January 12 in adult, kid, and toddler sizing.