Cleveland, Ohio rapper Machine Gun Kelly has added another hyphenate to his resume, as the musician-producer-actor becomes a model for Reebok Classic and one of the newest faces of the iconic Club C franchise, which previously featured Kendrick Lamar. The Club C sneaker originally started in 1985 as a tennis court favorite but transitioned to a street style standard due to its clean lines, comfort, and versatility. Reebok has been rocking with rappers in campaigns for more recent models as well, such as their collaboration with Future on the Zoku Runner.
Paying homage to the rave scene of the 1990s, the latest Club C campaign was shot in an abandoned warehouse and styled to evoke the grunge aesthetic that ruled the early part of the decade — an aesthetic that works for MGK., who’s known for his rebellious attitude and amped-up live performance reminiscent of the “devil may care” posturing of bands like Nirvana. Kelly’s shows have been known to get almost as raucous as his appearance on WWE Raw a couple of years ago, so of course the shots are all dynamic to carry over that sense of energy and movement.
“I’ve always been a fan of the Club C sneaker because it’s super clean and timeless,” Machine Gun Kelly said of the shoe. “It’s one of those kicks that’s been in the street scene forever — more than 30 years. I think the fact that the Club C is still relevant today says a lot about Reebok as brand and how they really are able to define what’s classic.”
From the shots, it would appear that M.G.K. cleans up well when he wants to, and the Club C sneakers, featuring a vintage Reebok logo and tonal repeat branding on the collar lining with a hit of popped repeat branding on the medial midsole, look almost good enough to eat. This may not have been an obvious match, but it’s one that looks good so far. Check out the Reebok Classic Club C at https://www.reebok.com/us/club_c
Get your own pair right here.