Andre 3000's sneaker collection with Tretorn, as part of the “I André Benjamin will not draw in class” capsule collection, is reportedly set to release in just a few days.
Andre, who grew up in Atlanta, used to draw unique versions of the white canvas sneakers in class as a kid and he used the inspiration from those designs for his upcoming collabs.
The collection includes updated Tretorn Nylites, a new basketball model, and an assortment of other low and hightop sneakers for both men and women. As mentioned, André also worked with footwear designer, and Tretorn consultant, Jeff Staple on the project. Staple, who has collaborated with a number of brands since his iconic Nike SB Dunk Low "Pigeon" release, recently told GQ he was surprised by André’s level of involvement in the project.
In fact, Staple says Andre showed up with 15 sketchbooks from the last 20 years which resulted in a wide range of sneaker designs including some preppy, some street-wear oriented, and some that are completely outside the box.
“You never know what you’re going to get when a celebrity walks into the room,” says Staple. “But [André] was super involved in the process. This wasn’t a phoned-in collab.”
“One of the things André really wanted to do was reconstruct it from the ground up,” Staple said. “So a new outsole, new midsole, new last, new reinforcement points. That was all his call.”
According to Highsnobiety, Andre 3000's new Tretorn collection is expected to launch online in the beginning of February with prices ranging from $110 to $250.
