FN Exclusive: Jhené Aiko & Teva Team Up For New Collection

On Wednesday, Teva announced its first celebrity collaboration. Grammy-nominated singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko has teamed up with the normcore-cool sports sandal brand on a capsule of three styles, available through its website.

Prices range from $60-$70 for the Hurricane XLT, a molded sneaker-soled style, plus the signature Universal sandal and an update flatform version, all done with space dyed woven uppers inspired by friendship bracelets she has long made and exchanged with her sister.

Jhené Aiko x Teva Hurricane XLT sandal.
Jhené Aiko x Teva Hurricane XLT sandal.
CREDIT: Courtesy of Teva

“We love all that Jhené stands for in her musical career and as a creative individual,” said Erika Gabrielli, director of marketing at Teva. “She embodies the spirit of self-expression, search for positivity and sense of exploration that are at the core of the Teva ethos, and we were thrilled to work with her on this collection.”

It doesn’t hurt that Aiko brings a sizable social media reach (she had 4.7 million followers on Instagram and Twitter alone) to the outdoorsy California company.

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Jhene Aiko Teva Sandals
https://footwearnews.com/t/jhene-aiko/"; id="auto-tag_jhene-aiko" data-tag="jhene-aiko" >Jhene Aiko x Teva Universal Flatform sandal.
Jhene Aiko Teva Sandals
Jhené Aiko x Teva Universal sandal.

FN caught up with the Los Angeles-based artist, 28, to hear more about the travel-influenced collaboration.

Jhene Aiko Teva Sandals
Singer-songwriter Jhené Aiko wears her new Teva Hurricane XLT sandal.

What drew you to Teva?
“I am in a time in my life where I am really appreciating the importance of exploring. I love what Teva represents and how they encourage people to go outside and discover new things. To me, the outer journey reflects the inner journey.”

What connected you to the brand?
“I discovered Teva on a trip I took to Hawaii, and I really felt like I found the perfect sandal. When we sat down to design the collection, I was really inspired by my love for nature and friendship bracelets! I grew up making them and I still do.”

Jhene Aiko Teva Sandals
Aiko in her Teva Hurricane XLT sandal collaboration.

How would you describe the styles you created?
“Easy going and comfortable. I like my music to be relatable, and I kept that thought in mind when we made this collection.”

How do you plan to wear the sandals this summer?
“They’re so easy to wear. We created three styles, and I see myself packing all three for trips this summer.”

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