André 3000 is one of a kind. Always has been, always will be. Whatâs always set him apart as a musician, a designer, and a cultural institution is his insistence on going against the grain and zagging in a world full of zig. Itâs long made manifest in his wardrobe, which often sidesteps designer labels for independent brands, workwear, and bohemian flourishes most of his fellow emcees wouldnât touch with a ten-foot pole. 3K has taste, an aesthetic instantly recognizable as his own. It was certainly on display when he hit the Met Gala red carpet with a piano strapped to his back, a fit connected to a quirky EP of piano tracks he dropped during the event. He channeled it into the fit he designed for GQ global editorial director Will Welch for the gala, reviving his defunct label Benji Bixby in the process. And it was, of course, present in his sneaker game during Welchâs pre-Met fittings.
Across the fitting processâwhich took place in both Amsterdam and New YorkâDré stepped out in selections from Nikeâs Air Trainer and Tech Challenge lines, far from the obvious sneakerhead pulls. Air Jordans, Air Maxes, and anything and everything Travis Scott, Fragment, and A Ma Maniére are commonplace these days amongst those immersed in the sneaker world. 3K has never seemed all that concerned with whatâs popular in any sartorial space, instead sticking to his own sense of style and taste. It explains the less-than-obvious kicks he laced up ahead of these sessions.
While the Air Tech Challenge 2 is a capital-I important sneakerâAndre Agassiâs most iconic signature shoe and one of the crown jewels of designer Tinker Hatfieldâs Nike tenureâthe later silhouettes in the series arenât quite as revered in the broader sneaker world. That doesnât seem to matter to 3K, who knows heat when he sees heat. For an early fitting in Amsterdam, he pulled up in navy coveralls and a grey hoodie, sporting a pair of the colorful Air Tech Challenge 4s in the âDark Grapeâ rendition. Predictably they served as the perfect finishing touch on a fit that sprinkled multicolored details across sturdy neutral pieces.
For the final fitting in New York on Friday, he pulled out another pair of archival Nikesâthis time the Air Trainer 1 in âChlorophyll,â which features touches of deep green across a silhouette of toned-down black, grey, and white. 3K paired these with a rustic workwear suit and a crewneck knit in bright gold and navy, proving that wearing sneakers with suit is a rule meant to be broken.
People overthink their sneaker rotation, buying into hype cycles and falling into existential crises over whether or not they should keep wearing Sambas or Panda Dunks. Let André 3000âs pre-Met Gala kicks serve as a reminder that itâs not about resale value or the hottest collaborations. Just do youâand donât wear shoes that make you feel anything less than fresh.