Pharrell Williams and Adidas’s Humanrace sneaker
There is some big news in the sneaker world: Pharrell Williams and Adidas’s “Humanrace” will be releasing a new sneaker on August 27. The bold new item is called the Sichona and will cost $180. The sneaker color way presents in an eye-catching shade of royal blue and flaunts the Adidas logo on its tongue tag, which is a much lighter shade of blue. The Humanrace name is also featured across the side of the sneaker in a lively coral hue.
While the new sneaker is daring in appearance, there is more meaning behind the product than just a fun visual aesthetic. Pharrell chose the name “Sichona” for the sneaker because of inspiration from the Dakota tribe.
In a Twitter post, Pharrell wrote:
“Introducing the @humanrace Sičhona, a call to the world to learn more about the Dakota land and its people. I'm partnering with @adidasoriginals to fund a 10kW solar array training and demonstration project for the youth of Standing Rock. Available 8/27: sichona.com”
According to the Footwear News article, “Pharrell Williams Is Dropping a New Adidas Humanrace Sneaker This Month,” by Victor Deng, naming the sneaker Sichona is a nod to “the Indigenous phrase “Connecting to the earth,” which is the Dakota way of saying “Barefoot.”’ The sneaker is supposed to be exceptionally comfortable and make wearers feel so free that they feel as if they are barefoot.
The new Sichona sneaker seems to be coming at the right time in terms of its appearance and theme. The summer of 2021 has been all about people using fashion to express themselves as they get back out there, and bright, bold colors have been popular for footwear. Furthermore, the product’s theme of freedom fits this month too, as many people have been enjoying being social and adventurous during the end of the summer.
This new sneaker is already getting plenty of buzz online, and we look forward to seeing how people react to the actual product once it is available for purchase. If this product succeeds, we may start seeing more musicians collaborating with footwear brands.
By: Zoe Nolz