Complex Sneakers locked down an exclusive interview with Jon Wexler of Adidas. If you don't know who Wexler is, he's pretty much the man breaking necks and cashing checks when it comes to who Adidas chooses to collaborate with. Seeing how the company has outpaced Nike in terms of that very category, especially recently, he's definitely the man to talk to. But how do sneaker companies really choose who gets their own designs and models? Well, he pretty much answers everything you could ever want to know.
On deciding who Adidas will work with:
It’s all about DNA. People whose DNA overlaps with ours, as well as our fan base’s. Authenticity is critical, too. If that isn’t there, kids see through it. We look for people who are creative and groundbreaking, who set trends and forge their own paths and are not afraid of what people are going to say about that. Obviously the people [adidas works with] are iconic, because it is the most icon
UGH, WHO CARES? WHAT ABOUT KANYE?
That guy is a good example of somebody who is always early. No one works harder than he does. He’s so determined to make a partnership a success, he’s constantly gathering information and speaking positively about the brand. He’s an amazing partner. He came to Germany, and has gone to the factory in China. He’s dived into understanding all aspects of what it is in the creation process and the engineering that goes into it. He’s a scientist.
The beginning of Adidas x Kanye:
Someone in his camp reached out to somebody at Reebok, who gave him my number, and we started talking. From early in our conversations it was clear that he wanted a platform to create. If you were to take what he says [during his tour speeches] and home in on those bullet points about creativity, you could tell why he had real potential at adidas. We’re going to invest in that creativity instead of limit it. During Fashion Week last September, we were launching the Jeremy Scott x A$AP Rocky collaboration and I texted Kanye, “I just landed in New York. By chance are you here?” He hit me back: “Yo, just landed. What are you doing here?” We made small talk, and at the time our CMO Hermann Deininger [who passed away in May 2014] and creative director Dirk Schonberger were in town for the Y-3 show and I said, “Hey, we’re all here. Maybe we should connect.” We met up while he was doing rehearsal for Jimmy Fallon and started to put it together. Things progressed and I remember him hitting me with a text that said, “The world changes now.” That was in November. A minute later, the signed contract came through.
Then there's 'Ye wearing Pure Boosts:
Kanye is the groundbreaker in his crew. He’s surrounded by a large group of influential people, so when he wears a pair of Pure Boosts, all those other guys are repping it as well. When we were in Mexico a few months ago confirming some product, he told me he was playing ball in Pure Boosts. I told Kanye, “We make great basketball shoes. Please don’t play in those. We’ll get you some real ball sneakers.” He replied, “No, this Pure Boost technology is so amazing. I don’t want to take them off my feet.”
And Y-3 being the best shit ever:
Our partnership with Yohji happened when we put sneakers on his runway models because he wanted to have an athletic inspiration for his show. It was simple and just for one shoe. Then it became a bigger partnership and collection because it was mutually exciting. Y-3 was the first of its kind and that partnership has really blossomed. We do full-blown runway shows with him now. Our creative director has personal relationships with Raf Simons and Rick Owens, and brought them into the brand.
