Pusha T and Adidas Made a Sneaker That’s as Honest as His Music
Pusha T grew up a long way from Miami, but he has a lot in common with the city. Pusha T, who calls himself the “last cocaine superhero,” has 15 years worth of music under his belt that illustrates his history on the streets. Just like him, Miami has often been associated with a similar trade, so the old Marine Stadium was more than a fitting location for G.O.O.D. Music’s President to celebrate the release of his third Adidas sneaker.
Before pulling up on a speedboat to perform on a floating stage for attendees of Thursday’s Adidas #TLKS series, Pusha T sat down with members of the media to discuss all things sneakers, creativity, and Adidas.
Just like his previous two Adidas sneakers, the newly launched “Greyscale” EQT echoes a similar motif of drug-related storytelling to his critically acclaimed rap catalog. Highlighted by the real fish-scale details, this sneaker also includes Primeknit and Boost technology. Despite the massive success of his first two sneakers, Pusha T is taking extra pride in these because him and Adidas took the next step in their creative partnership by creating a whole new take on EQT 93. Sure, his first two models sold out instantly and have his creative fingerprints all over them, but they were more Pusha T’s interpretation of a classic silhouette than the full meeting of minds that his new sneaker represents. “This is part of the Pusha T brand for sure. It’s organic, it’s natural. It’s a story behind it,” Pusha T says.
As expected, the King Push “Greyscale” EQT sold out immediately, or in Pusha T’s own words, “Gone in 60, no Nick Cage.” That makes him and Adidas three for three, which leaves us wondering what could possibly be next for him and the Three Stripes. Given Pusha T’s experience in streetwear, an apparel collaboration might seem like the next natural step, but he’s in no rush. “It just has to be right, man. I feel like I’m on a pretty good roll. I don’t want people to say he just shifted what he’s been doing at Play cloths for nine years,” he says. Pusha T’s commitment to an authentic approach appears to be shared by Adidas, too.
When asked about how the Adidas design team prepared for working with Pusha T and understanding his background, Vice President of Product Torben Schumacher says, “For us it’s really important to have those honest conversations and test if there’s an authentic connection. If it’s not authentic, it’s going to be spotted as fake.”
Three successful launches later, and multiple mentions of Adidas being “family” from Pusha T, it looks like taking the time to get to know each other has certainly paid off.
With three successful launches to date, and multiple mentions of Adidas being “family” from Pusha T, taking the time to get to know each other has certainly paid off. Despite the success of new models like the NMD and Ultra Boost, and legacies of classics like the Stan Smith and Superstar, he quickly dismissed the idea of working on a non-EQT model. By the end of the discussion, it became clear that Pusha T wants to be the face of Adidas EQT. If we’re talking about U.S. sneaker culture today, he already is.
