Source: Complex / Complex
What does a guy like Jaden Smith buy when he’s out hunting for new footwear? That’s not the easiest guess to make considering his track record of being a known outlier within Hip Hop and fashion circles over the years. Fundamentally, he’s very much a serious sneakerhead with a keen eye for design and brand collaboration.
Recently, the “Icon” rapper appeared on the latest episode of Sneaker Shopping with Complex discussing all things shoes, including a 2017 forged partnership with New Balance that inspired him to develop the Vision Racer. Made with recycled and vegan-friendly materials, the chunky bottom shoe with a Sunflower Yellow colorway recently got the stamp of approval from sneaker aficionado Wale and recently stood out in an elegant photoshoot for Elle Magazine donned by “Euphoria” star Zendaya.
“That was amazing. She’s fantastic,” Smith said to series host Joe La Puma at SoleStage in Los Angeles. “The fact that she was wearing that shoe… it meant a lot to me. And it made the shoe look amazing too. I looked at that and I was like, “Man, I want this shoe so bad!” and I was already wearing it. Shout out to her, she’s the best.”
He also revealed a fun fact about music mentor Omarr Rambert, who just happens to be Will Smith’s childhood friend. Apparently, he’s responsible for a lot of the “fresh” looks featured on the 90s sitcom “The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air.”
“When my dad was on Fresh Prince, Omar was helping to dress my dad. Omar was the one giving my dad these Jordans and different clothes. He was like, ‘Yo this is the wave. Let’s take this back from Philly and I’m gonna dress you in this.’”
Lastly, 300 pairs of kicks were donated to Homeless Health Care LA by way of a partnership with The ReFresh Spot, an organization dedicated to offering help to the homeless community in Skid Row. It’s just one of the ways Smith uses his influence to help those in need of assistance.
“We all have these platforms and we want to use these platforms to make the world a better place and help the person that’s next to us. We’re so blessed in this life to be able to make shoes and to make clothes and music that I really want to do that to give back to the people that are less fortunate and the people who need help.”
To learn more about his non-profit 501CTHREE, click here.
Jaden Smith Donates 300 Pairs of Kicks on ‘Sneaker Shopping With Complex’ was originally published on hiphopwired.com
