Kendrick Lamar’s Super Bowl Halftime Show performance caused quite the buzz, and not just for its political messaging and continued snipes at archrival Drake.
According to online apparel reselling platform StockX, resales of Nike Air DT Max ’96 sneakers shot up 413% in the wake of the performance, after Kendrick wore the shoes onstage, along with a pair of flared-leg Celine jeans and a custom leather jacket emblazoned with the name of his new all-around media production company, pgLang. The throwback sneakers were originally worn by multi-sport star Deion Sanders, with retro remakes becoming some of the most coveted models among sneaker enthusiasts. Thanks to Kendrick, that enthusiasm has reached new levels.
Hopefully, the same could be said of some other aspects of the performance — even ones that Kendrick didn’t plan on. During Kendrick’s performance, a man who has been alternately described as one of Kendrick’s dancers or a field crasher, Zül-Qarnain Nantambu, displayed a flag expressing solidarity with victims of humanitarian crises in both Gaza and Sudan. Sharing a statement with news media, Nantambu denied that Kendrick was in on his plan. “I don’t want to attribute any of that to him because he didn’t know anything about that,” he said. “We live a life of luxury in comparison to what they’re going through.” Like spending $144 on old shoes, amiright?
