The Wiz Khalifa Converse Connection and Other Celebs With Their Own Signature Shoe

In the world of increasing paychecks for celebrities, one of the many ways that some of the biggest names in entertainment are continuing to make themselves even more popular is by partnering up with different brands and slapping their names onto shoes. Much like we see athletes who get their own shoe line for running around a football or basketball court, these entertainers are getting acknowledged for their style. Since these people are becoming moguls and not just musicians, they have no problem helping in the design and promotion of their kicks, urging fans to buy what they’re wearing on their feet while performing on stage or walking the streets. And because there have been a number of celebs who have done just that, I’m giving you the top-10 famous faces who have approved their own shoes.

10. Wiz Khalifa

With the announcement back in August of this year that Pittsburgh’s own rapper Wiz Khalifa would get his second sneaker from the footwear company Converse, the new shoe was just recently released this fall. Available in two different colors, its style is inspired by the individuality of Wiz and is in the same style as the legendary Chuck Taylor’s that the company is so well-known for.

9. Kim Kardashian

She’s one of the biggest and most recognizable names in showbiz, so it’s no surprise that Kim Kardashian has made her way into the designer shoe game. Hooking up with online retailer Shoedazzle, Kim has helped generate millions in sales for the company, with her signature line becoming extremely popular thanks to a price point that’s, surprisingly, not as steep as some would expect, as her shoes go for just $39.95. One doesn’t need to make six figures to afford that!

8. Big Sean

As one of Kanye West’s best friends’, it’s no wonder that rapper Big Sean has shown an keen interest in fashion and street style. That’s why Adidas locked him up to help them design a new shoe for the company several years ago, with the rapper releasing a snakeskin-print hightop of one of the brand’s most popular shoes, the shell toe classic which typically comes in a low top.

7. Lil Wayne

Unlike other entertainers on this list, rapper Lil Wayne was given an all-out partnership from skateboard-heavy brand SUPRA back in 2013, allowing the musician to form his own line called SPECTRE. As one would imagine, the result became a high-end, gnarly designed sneaker that could only come from the brilliantly creative mind of Weezy.

6. Drake

An emerging artist in the past five years or so, Canadian rapper Drake has shown to be as business savvy as some of the most influential artists around. In fact, one can argue that Drake received one of the biggest honors of any celebrity when it comes to style, as he was selected by the Jordan Brand to help design several pieces for the subdivision of Nike. With Michael Jordan being the greatest basketball player of all-time and having a line of shoes that are always in-demand, Drake has quite the gig in helping design.

5. Rick Ross

As I’ve pointed out a few times on this list, many of these relationships were formed based off of past friendships that were able to be used in a professional manner outside of just music collaboration. That’s what seemed to happen when Swizz Beatz came to Reebok as the creative director, with him hitting up rapper Rick Ross to become a spokesperson for the Classics back in 2012. Ross never actually got his own, signature shoe, but he was at the forefront of plenty of ads.

4. Pharrell

One of the most outrageously cool artists in music, Pharrell WIlliams has shown to have some serious style. That’s why Japanese brand BAPE wasn’t hesitant in letting the guy design his own sneaker line, giving him the right to doing so in the company’s initial line of sneakers on their Ice Cream Collection which came from the rapper’s inspirations with bright colors and in skateboarding.

3. Quest Love

One of the most unique musicians around, The Roots’ drummer Questlove had the opportunity to design his own sneaks for Nike back in 2008, with the company allowing him to celebrate the longstanding Air Force One line. Adding burgundy leather and a neon green elephant print on the shoe, the talented artist also included a gold Swoosh on the side, making his shoe both colorful and extremely rare—sort of like Questlove’s personality.

2. Kanye West

He’s one of the biggest stars on the planet, so it’s probably not too shocking to see Kanye West make this list of entertainers who have their own shoe. After generating a ton of attention for Nike a few years ago when the brand released the Air Yeezy, which produced about 5,000 pairs and were sold for as much as $90,000 online, Nike collaborated with West again to give him another crack at his own kicks in 2012, aptly called the Air Yeezy II, which were just as in-demand by his fans. Kanye has more recently inked a deal with Adidas, however, with the company hoping for similar success.

1. Jay Z

One of Kanye West’s good friends and, admittedly, his mentor, Brooklyn-born rapper Jay Z has shown to be the most powerful rapper in the game, with rumors of his net worth being near $1 billion. One of the many things that helped Hova get to a number that high? A partnership with Reebok that began back in 2003 when the company released the S. Carter sneaker, an unparalleled announcement at the time. It ended up becoming the fastest selling shoe for the company, which proved the success and paved the way for other non-athletic celebs to get their own shoes, too.

Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Clear Channel