A$AP Rocky and Rihanna were snapped after a night out at the La Malmaison Nice Boutique Hôtel's fancy NESPO restaurant in Nice, France (So nice, they named it Nice!). That's not news. What is news, as always, is that Rocky is still very much the fashion killa and he's still killin' it as far as outfits are concerned, especially in the sneaker department.
A$AP Rocky and Rihanna are ostensibly in France for Paris Fashion Week — they were front row and fully-kitted out in Louis Vuitton for Pharrell's LV menswear debut — but Rocky seized the moment to also flex a fit so effortless that you could've been forgiven for not even noticing Rocky's special kicks.
Now, the Salomon shoes that Rocky's rockin' may not look anything special from a distance so let's get a little closer. Zoom! Enhance!
The thing about Salomon is it rarely issues patterned sneakers, so that's an immediate giveaway that A$AP Rocky's camouflage/leopard-printed shoes are particularly distinct.
Indeed, these are quite unusual: Rocky's sneakers are actually a collaborative shoe that Salomon launched exclusively with Parisian boutique The Broken Arm a while back. Not easy to come by, even on the secondhand market.
The shoes' shape is charmingly retro à la Salomon's throwback ACS sneaker line, though they have the same branding on the tongue as Salomon's ACS Pro (they're actually part of Salomon's XT Quest line). How's that for complicated?
It's cool that Rocky doesn't just jump on trends, he selects distinctive pieces that demonstrate his good taste, as evidenced by his ultra-specific sneakers. That Rocky managed to dress them up with slick leather jacket and pleated shorts only serves to emphasize his power: who else could make trail shoes worthy of a dinner party?
A$AP Rocky doesn't frequently do footwear collaborations but he knows his way around a pair of sneakers.
Previously, he's worked with Vans by way of Pacsun and Under Armour on a collaborative sneaker that still feels like a once-in-a-lifetime phenomenon. A$AP Rocky and Under Armour? In my lifetime? Wild.
Anywqays, Rocky's co-sign is at least a nice feather in Salomon's cap, which is plenty well-stocked with big collaborative wins for the year.
