Why has Drake never been successful in the sneaker game? From the missed deal with adidas to that with Nike, the (secondary) role of the rapper in the industry
During an episode of The Complex Sneakers Podcast, the former adidas Yeezy GM VP Jon Wexler confirmed the German brand's intention to add Drake to its stable of creators and influencers. It was 2018 and Drizzy was looking for an escape to untie himself from the agreement signed sometime before with Jordan Brand, and Kanye West, the architect of the first contacts and meetings between Drake and adidas, had arrived directly to his rescue.
Without bothering Kanye West and the revolution carried on for years with Yeezy, it's enough to mention Travis Scott to highlight what seems a simple listless attempt to capitalize on musical success through a growing sector like that of sneakers. While not shining for design, the sneakers created by La Flame have always managed to create disproportionate attention around each release, often reaching very high resell prices despite a certain underlying creative inconsistency. Travis Scott's success in the sneaker world, however, can be traced back to the status of La Flame in the fashion world, a style icon capable of influencing trends and sales, therefore capable of attracting around itself the attention necessary to transform the release. of a pair of sneakers at an event. Drake for his part has always seemed a bit confused when it comes to fashion, never managing to impose himself in the clear way that instead seems almost natural for his colleagues. It would be enough to look at the video made by YouTuber The Unknown Vlogs in which Drake shows off a million-dollar outfit to realize how the Canadian rapper is part of a different world, one in which the flex is the 11 thousand dollar Brioni jacket in a formal outfit. The same OVO, the brand born from the label of the same name, has collected over time a series of collaborations that have passed on the sly and distinguished themselves only for the little substance that distinguished them. From Dsquared2 to Canada Goose, even passing through Prada, Drake's aesthetics have always seemed to show off rather than create, a mentality that hardly fits with those who hold the keys to change the sneaker game.
