See Reebok’s new Gary Vaynerchuk-designed shoes

Gary Vaynerchuk’s alpaca illustration is going mainstream as part of a new collaboration with Reebok. The footwear brand is releasing a sneaker sporting the marketing executive’s “Aspiring Alpaca” character from his VeeFriends line of friendly beings. The apparently earless alpaca, which Vaynerchuck first introduced two years ago as one of 283 characters he hand drew, was brought to digital life through NFTs. The alpaca will appear on the tongue of Reebok's Classic Nylon shoe, and the name VeeFriends will appear on one shoe in each pair (Reebok remains on the other). Vaynerchuk has been trying to scale VeeFriends beyond its entertainment company roots into a fan-driven and loyalty enterprise. He recently hosted his second VeeCon festival as part of the project. Last year, Macy's debuted a line of VeeFriends plush toys; VeeFriends Squishmallows were announced last month. The new shoes mark the first time Reebok has worked with Vaynerchuk, according to a Reebok spokeswoman. The shoes, available for $90 purchase at the end of August on Reebok and VeeFriends sites, are not part of Reebok’s back-to-school offerings—listed in unisex sizing, they’re meant for adults only, despite the trendiness of llamas and alpacas with younger consumers. They are priced roughly $5 to $15 higher than other Classic Nylon styles on Reebok’s site. To spread the word about the new collection, Reebok worked with VeeFriends on a digital campaign that will run on Reebok and VeeFriends sites and social channels. The push includes a series of short videos featuring VeeFriends influencers such as Christian Robles, a professional boxer, and Esma Shmeit, a rapper. Reebok was acquired by Authentic Brands Group for $2.46 billion in 2022 after 15 years under Adidas’ ownership. While Reebok struggled under Adidas, Authentic Brands Group expects to grow the sportswear brand’s fashion and performance offerings. An Authentic Brands executive reportedly said last year that Reebok will grow from $4 billion to $10 billion in five years.

See Reebok’s new Gary Vaynerchuk-designed shoes

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