JAY-Z’s ongoing sneaker chronicles are weirdly fascinating, not least because Mr. Beyoncé has been wearing Nike and YEEZY sneakers even before quietly terminating what was supposed to be a long-term PUMA partnership. JAY-Z’s next footwear evolution steps beyond the realm of hype and into… Bad Bunny’s adidas?
Yes, while Queen Bey was showing off the power couple’s summertime vacay in the Hamptons, she also revealed JAY’s latest sneaker interests.
Seen cruising on a yacht on a sunny June day, JAY is clad in one of his signature huge hats, Beyoncé hats, trim slacks, and what appear to be Bad Bunny’s slick adidas Gazelle Indoor shoe, which recently got a nice blue makeover.
JAY opted for the sneaker’s OG colorway, though, which seems a bit subtle for his tastes.
Previously, we’ve seen JAY-Z in Off-White™ Nike collabs (more than one) and Travis Scott’s Air Force 1. All pretty rare, sought-after shoes, and all pretty spendy on the secondhand market.
But Bad Bunny’s adidas Gazelles, inarguably tasteful they may be, are a far more approachable flex.
Pairs of the $120 shoe can be had for under $200 on the secondhand market, a pittance compared to the four-figure sums commanded by Travis and Off-White™’s Nike collabs.
This is also one of the rare JAY-Z adidas crossover moments — save for a surprising YEEZY moment in 2023, JAY has nearly always been checks over stripes.
JAY’s only other casual show-offs are pretty heavily laden with meaning: back in February, he pulled out a deadstock pair of his decades-old Reebok sneaker collab simply because he can.
Now that JAY is (publicly) untethered from any big sportswear partnerships, he’s free to rock whatever he likes, even Bad Bunny’s appreciably simple shoes.