Sometimes the are choices that only see right to you. Snoop Dogg, America’s favorite hip-hop pitchman, was looking to do a sneaker deal. His team wanted him to go after a deal with Nike’s Jordan Brand. But he wanted to pitch Sketchers, the third-largest footwear brand globally.
Initially met with hesitation from his team, Snoop was encouraged by his friend, colleague, and unexpected mentor, Martha Stewart, to embrace a fresh approach by partnering with Skechers.
Did It His Way
Skechers released SKX Resagrip “Boss Treatment,” Snoop Dogg’s new basketball shoes, on Jan. 25 for $160 in an adult size, and so far, New York Knicks power forward Julius Randle and Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Terance Mann are the first two NBA players to complete a game in them, according to Sports Illustrated.
On a Jan. 29 episode of the “All The Smoke” podcast by hosts Matt Barnes and Stephen Jackson, the Long Beach rapper explains why he chose Skechers.
“Thank Martha Stewart for that because somebody from my team was blocking,” Snoop Dogg said. “I ain’t gonna say his name, but the n—a was blocking. But he was blocking for the right reasons because he felt like Skechers and me didn’t connect. He felt like it was a brand that was beneath me, but n—a all shoes are beneath me.”
He continued, “I took Martha Stewart’s advice. She said, ‘Snoop, you should get with Skechers because they don’t have anyone like you. They’ll give you as many shoes as you want. You should meet the owner [Robert Greenberg]. He used to run LA Gear.’”
Snoop went on to explain, “What people don’t know is that [Skechers] is No. 2. Nike’s No. 1, and they’re No. 2.” (Skechers actually is ranked No. 5 in the world, as reported by The Motley Fool in November.)
And according to Snoop, he could reach a different type of market. “They (Skechers) got the most stores around the whole world, and they’re the shoes that everybody buys. You got parents, people that work at hospitals, police officers — they make shoes for all walks of life.”
He pointed out, “In some countries, all they do is wear Skechers. So I was looking at that like, I’m global. I ain’t gonna get no deal with [Michael] Jordan. He don’t want me on his team. He already got too many people like me. Let me go find somebody that ain’t nobody paying attention to, do my thug thizzle with them… show them some things they ain’t never seen and let them take me places I ain’t ever been.”
Snoop is not the only celebrity to have thought outside of the Nike/ Jordan box; Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, Carrie Underwood, Kim Kardashian, Demi Lovato, and fellow California rapper Doja Cat have partnered with Skechers, according to Highsnobiety.
