Pharrell opens up about Stan Smith collaboration

Pharrell Williams talked with Footwear News recently about what makes the Stan Smith sneaker so classic and what it was like to collaborate with its namesake owner on his own shoe.

Earlier this year the Pharrell x Adidas Tennis Hu shoe launched with a clear nod to the Stan Smith’s design.

“The [Stan Smith sneaker] serves as the perfect billboard space for all kinds of textures and to message things,” Williams said.

Anyone with even a casual interest in footwear is likely aware of Adidas’ legendary Stan Smith sneaker. But how many teens and young adults running around in the shoes actually know who Smith is?

Smith won two Grand Slams and reached No. 1 in the world, while becoming a Davis Cup legend. His footwear legacy began in 1972 when Adidas offered him the chance to co-brand what was then called the “Halliet” leather shoe (named after French tennis player Robert Halliet). By the late '70s, the green and white shoe was all his and came to be known as the Stan Smith.

After falling out of fashion for a while, Adidas re-introduced the shoe in 2014. It’s now one of the hottest tickets in the world of footwear, evinced in Pharrell’s homage with the Pharrell x Adidas Tennis Hu.

The singer, rapper and producer has himself recently become more involved in the tennis world, going as far as designing threads for the US Open.

In that respect, Pharrell admitted, Smith has been a decided influence.

“He was incredibly patient when explaining how the tennis scoring system works,” Williams said.