Celebrity Endorsed Shoes
Tuesday, August 23rd, 2011Celebrities have been known to endorse products for years. What started with the humble gig t-shirt quickly escalated into branded biscuit tins, toilet seats, perfumes and seemingly everything else imaginable, including shoes.
Not content with just releasing music, many artists have taken the foray into fashion design, admittedly with some seeing decidedly more success than others.
Hair-metaller and singer of iconic rock anthem ‘Jump’ Eddie Van Halen commissioned his own brand of trainers, similar in shape and design to the Converse boot but featuring his own pattern.
The design, based on his iconic ‘Frankenstein’ guitar will be familiar to fans of his band; the red, white and black striped design now as much a part of the band as their music and their look.
Rap superstar Kanye West teamed up with high-end fashion designers Yves Saint Laurent to create his own ‘signature’ brand of men’s shoes, utilizing large block colors and retro styles in a way than enamored as many as it alienated.
Professional cyclist and founder of cancer charity ‘Livestrong’ Lance Armstrong chose Nike as his associates for his running shoes.
Having run numerous marathons himself, Armstrong needed the trainers to be utilitarian as well as look good. He also ensured that the bright yellow associated with his foundation featured heavily in the design.
The collaborations are not just between celebrity and brand, however. Funk-master Flex signed up with JB Classics to make his own brand of trainer, but also brought on board Ford Motoring Company into the deal. Whilst the design was conceived by the designer and artist, Ford appeared to come off best from the deal, having their logo emblazoned on the trainers’ tongue, which too was colored in Ford’s traditional blue.
So regardless of the person’s day job, if they are in the public eye it seems the market is open for them to make the transition into fashion designer.

