Rap superstar Wale, a well-known sneakerhead, has teamed up with retailer Villa and sport-shoe brand Asics for an Independence Day-themed collaboration using Asic’s Gel Lyte III silhouette, called the Bottle Rocket. The shoe will be available on Friday at Villa locations and on its website.
The shoe boasts a predominantly black suede-and-leather upper with the brand’s logo providing contrast and blue on the outside of the shoe, red on the inside. Underneath the mesh overlay surrounding the Asics logo on the upper are white stars directly above the Gel Lyte III red, white and blue branding. The outsole is predominantly white with a red-and-blue speckled effect, with red and blue split along the base. The shoe comes with two sets of laces, a black-with-white speckled set and a red-with-blue speckled set.
The Bottle Rocket will come in a box with Villa, Wale and Asics branding, as well as a collector’s-edition Pintrill pin.
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The shoe is available in both men’s and grade-school sizes, with retail prices of $160 and $120, respectively.
Before becoming a famous rapper, Wale, a Washington, D.C., native, worked for retailer DTLR. He debuted the sneakers in the music video for his latest single, “The Matrimony,” featuring R&B crooner Usher. The shoes appear at the 3:48 mark.
